Preserve One to Damage Two
by Juri.DP
Summary: A secret between Teams 7 and 8, and a torturous memory for Sasuke and Hinata.
1. Chapter 1

**I...have a problem with starting new fics when I shouldn't...**

_WARNING: This deals with their twelve year old selves, and there ARE evidences of sexual assault/abuse._

_I can't really say 'Enjoy' after that..._

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_Naruto stirred, groaning as he began to awaken. His eyes parted with unusual forced effort, and he looked skywards. Overhead, the end of a flock of birds flew by through the canopy of trees, earning his full, drowsy attention._

_"Outside..." he croaked, willing himself to blink. He pulled himself to a sit, momentarily overcome with a headrush. Looking around, he saw that he wasn't alone. His team, along with Team 8, were scattered around him, lying on the ground._

_None were moving._

_His mind didn't piece together anything as he scanned the bodies before him; however, he soon noticed something was wrong. It was not the fact that they should not have all been passed out on the forest floor. It was not the fact that they had been on a mission prior to his awakening. It was not even the fact that every single person—even Akamaru—was incapacitated. What struck Naruto as odd was-_

_"Sasuke?" He started to sober up, scanning again with a sense of urgency. "Sasuke?"_

_He wasn't here._

_Naruto jumped to his feet, ignoring the blurred vision that followed and whipping his head in all directions to locate his missing teammate. His breathing became ragged, his mind spinning. "Wake up!" he yelled. "Kakashi-sensei! Sakura! Everyone, wake up!"_

_He continued to yell, soon resorting to shaking the people closest to him until, one by one, everyone began to emerge from their curious slumber._

_Sakura groaned, flinging a heavy hand over her face. "What is it, Naruto?"_

_"Where's Hinata?" Kiba looked around, rubbing his eyes._

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_Bodies tore through the forest, urgently racing to wherever _**they**_ were. They chased after the pack of dogs Kakashi had summoned._

_"I smell blood!" Pakkun yelled over the frantic cries of the other dogs. Kiba and Naruto picked up speed, both blinded by panic._

_"Hinata!"_

_"Sasuke!"_

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_"Oh my god." Sakura fell to her knees, holding on to the sides of her head as tears fell freely from her wide, green eyes. "Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god..."_

_"What the hell happened?" Kurenai said aloud, kneeling next to her recovered student. "Kakashi, how...? How did we let this happen?"_

_Kakashi didn't know how to respond. He stood next to his own student, staring in a state he couldn't determine as either numbness or horror. "I... I don't..."_

_Naruto and Kiba were hunched over their respective, unconscious teammate, unable to stop their pleas and demands for answers._

_Both were overwrought with despair._

_Both had jackets draped over the bloodied, naked bodies._

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Hinata gasped, flinging herself upwards, hyperventilating, eyes watering. Her eyes shot around the room, trying to get a hold of her surroundings. Nothing she looked at was coming into focus, but she remembered everything.

_Everything._

"N-n-no!" she screeched, sobs soon taking over. "No!"

"-kay! It's okay! Hinata, it's okay!"

Someone was pushing down on her shoulders, trying to keep her from flinging herself or flailing about. She became more panicked, more desperate, but soon two more sets of hands were trying to subdue her. Hinata's mind went rampant, refusing to go through it all again. She grabbed on to someone, trying to understand what was going on, when her eyes started to register a familiar face.

She gasped for air, wet eyelids blinking at her teammate's face. "K-Ki...?" She blinked rapidly, taking note of her remaining team. It was Kiba who had been pushing on her shoulders; their sensei and Shino turned out to be the other pairs of hands.

It was just her team.

But... How...?

"It's okay now," Kurenai soothed, taking a seat next to her. "We're back in the village."

"We... We are...?" This still didn't calm her—the shaking wouldn't stop. She looked around and saw she was in a hospital room. She wore a white, sterile gown, and, for a brief second, she had the bliss of not knowing why she was not in her normal clothes. Her eyes began to water again, but they stopped when she saw Team 7 gathered around a bed to her right. Sakura was crying, her face buried in her hands while Naruto stood gravely in a corner of the room, staring with wide eyes that saw nothing. Kakashi stood to the side of the bed, looking down at it. He glanced her way.

"Welcome back," he greeted, smiling wearily beneath his mask. "We've-" He turned, revealing the battered boy lying there.

Hinata's eyes widened.

_**"Konoha genin, huh?"**_

She didn't remember any more of that hospital day, but she was told her screams echoed throughout the building.

* * *

"Say 'Ahh', Sasuke-kun."

"C'mon, Sakura, he can feed himself."

"Shut it, Naruto," she snapped. "You should be helping out, too."

Naruto looked away, pouting. "Well, I'm not gonna feed 'im."

Sakura ignored him, returning her attention to the vacant eyed Uchiha. "Come on, Sasuke-kun." She presented the chopsticks with the small portion of rice between them. "'Ahh'. Say-"

_**"Ahhhh! Stop! Please, stop!"**_

_**"For a mousy looking girl, she sure can scream."**_

Sasuke's heart rate picked up. He blinked slowly, turning his head to the side. Sakura froze, staring back at him with anticipation.

"Sasuke? Is everything alright?"

"I'm...sorry..."

Naruto and Sakura looked at each other—too confused to ask for an explanation and too stunned to take notice of the boy's pained expression.

* * *

Kiba and Shino walked with Hinata; Hinata walked with Akamaru huddled to her chest, her eyes never leaving the ground. After being moved to the Hyuuga compound, she was finally able to leave. She had been confined to her home only for a few days, but it felt like they were meeting her for the first time.

Kiba and Shino occasionally exchanged glances.

They wanted to know what went wrong that day—why the she and Sasuke were taken—why the two of them were _targeted—_why they refused to talk about it. Sasuke wouldn't crack, and Hinata went into a frantic mess whenever they tried to coax an answer out of her. Kiba and Shino would soon drop the subject all together—a secret between Teams 7 and 8, and a torturous memory for Sasuke and Hinata.

The four were turning into the entrance to the Training Grounds when they encountered Team 7 exiting. Hinata looked up, freezing; Sasuke caught her gaze.

"No..." Her voice was weak. She took a step back, her breathing erratic. Everyone saw the change, but no one knew what caused it.

Except for two.

Hinata hastily handed Akamaru to Kiba, stumbling off the path, and fell to her hands and knees. She began to vomit due to sheer fear.

* * *

"Listen to me!"

"Leave me alone!"

"I said listen!" Sasuke slammed Hinata against a tree. He had run into her by chance, and she had tried to get away from him.

But not this time.

He had things to say, and he wasn't going to let her screw anything up.

"I don't want to be near you," Hinata wheezed, unable to look at him. "I don't... I don't want anything to do with you."

"Are you going to try and blame _me_ now?" he hissed. "We did what we had to to stay _alive_, and you want to turn it all on _me_?"

"It _was_ all you!" she screeched, tears seeping through shut eyes. "You're strong, aren't you?! You could have beaten them! Your clan was powerful-"

"And what about you, huh?!" he fired back. "I didn't see you putting that Hyuuga blood to any use, so explain that!"

"Get away!" Her hand shot forward, sending a surge of chakra through his abdomen.

Sasuke stumbled back, clutching the throbbing area. She hadn't used much on him—she was too disoriented to do that much—but it shocked him that she had tried. Out of all the people she could lash out at, she was lashing out at _him?_

Hinata slid down the trunk of the tree, covering her face as pained hiccups quivered from her. "You're...st-strong... I-I've heard abo-out you... You could've-"

"No, I couldn't," Sasuke muttered loud enough for her to hear. He fell back into a sit and let his head hang, squeezing his arm tighter around him. "Don't give me so much credit..."

* * *

She wasn't going to tell.

He wasn't going to tell.

So, Sasuke let it go.

He was done trying to talk to Hinata because, every time he tried, it only ended in yelling, tears, and regret that never really went away. In retrospect, she was being illogical. As a ninja, she should expect situations that were beyond their levels of training and realize he only did what was right for both of them.

He's sure he picked the right choice...

There was no way he could take on five grown men on his own, right? It was beyond his current skill level...wasn't it? Why else would he have...put them through all that? He didn't give a damn about Hinata's life—he didn't even know her—so he did what was best for him...

But...was living best for her?

* * *

Stop thinking about it.

She had to stop thinking about it...but there was no way she could do that. There was no way she would choose to have that day constantly rammed around her head, so why couldn't she forget? Why was it the first thing she thought about—the last thing she remembers—the only thing that plagued her dreams? Why-

Hinata lurched forward, her face in the toilet bowl, and began to vomit again. She sobbed between each heave, wanting nothing more than to _not think_.

In the bathroom entrance, unbeknownst to the heiress, Neji stood there, scrutinizing her. Hinata had been this way ever since she returned from her mission, and he had been annoyed by it all. He didn't know any details, but he knew her mission had ended badly.

It was pathetic of her.

So she faced the real struggles of their lifestyle—so what? Danger came with being a ninja, and she needed to realize that.

But...something wasn't right.

She was crying too much, which sometimes ended with her vomiting. Yes, at first, he was aggravated with the weak, pampered heiress grieving over a little bodily damage, but this... There was something wrong with all of this. Even for her, this wasn't normal.

He watched for a moment longer before turning out the door. "I'm getting the medical ninja."

Hinata whipped around, startled by the voice, staring into the empty doorway. "Don't..." She became panicked when his footsteps got farther away. "Neji, don't!"

* * *

"Sir? Are you..." She looked down, noticing the man had clenched his fists so hard his knuckles were turning white.

Hiashi exhaled until no more air would come out. "Are you sure?"

The medic nin nodded, not wanting to verbally confirm it.

"I'm sorry..." Hinata whispered, sobbing from the clinical bed. "Father-"

"Who?" he demanded.

Hinata shook her head, crying harder. "I don't want to do thi-"

"Hinata," he threatened. "Give me a name."

o0o0o

"Alright," Kakashi sighed as he and his students sat around Ichiraku. "Today's mission is another D-rank assignment, so-"

"Give me a break!" Naruto complained. "How come, ever since we came back from that mission with Kiba's team, we've done nothing but the baby stuff?"

Kakashi scratched the back of his head. "You all just...could use some more training..."

Naruto laughed, rolling his eyes. "Meaning _Sasuke_ has to learn not to get kidnapped."

The Uchiha shot him a heated glare. Naruto was the only one who would bring up the subject so freely, and, for once, he hated how unbiased he was.

Kakashi cleared his throat. "That's not the point, Naruto."

"Yeah? Then what-"

The flaps of the ramen stand were pushed aside. Two men stood in the entrance; they appeared to be Hyuugas. Their white eyes scanned the faces before landing on Sasuke.

"Come with us."

Sasuke frowned, glaring. "Come again?"

"Lord Hiashi wishes to see you."

o0o0o

Hiashi paced around the room, his face grim and his mood furious. Hinata continued to cry; she was scared. She didn't want to go through this.

"Father-"

"Quiet," he warned. "I'll deal with you later."

The doors opened, and Sasuke was ushered inside. The two servants had a hold of his arms and brought him straight to Hiashi before roughly releasing him.

Sasuke didn't want to be here. He should have known Hinata wouldn't be able to keep it a secret. What kind of kunoichi was she?

"I didn't say anything," she said, trembling into her hands. "I didn't say a-anythi-"

"I SAID TO BE QUIET!" Hiashi bellowed. Hinata cried harder but tried her hardest to keep her voice down. Hiashi set his enraged glare on Sasuke. "You had better start explaining."

Sasuke stared at him, convinced this man had gone mad. If Hinata told him everything, then what was there to explain? Shouldn't he be glad his daughter was alive?

Sasuke's silence didn't sit well with the Hyuuga man because he snapped. He grabbed the Uchiha by the hair, forcing him to look around the room. "Piece it together, Uchiha genius! Where are we?! What is this room?!" He dragged Sasuke to Hinata, forcing his head in her direction. "How can _you_ possibly be linked to _her?_"

Sasuke winced, his head beginning to throb, but he made himself come to a conclusion. He stared at Hinata, who was in a bed...

A bed...located in...

Sasuke's eyes widened, his heart wild with fear. "You can't be..."

Hinata cried harder, hoping to collapse into herself.


	2. Chapter 2

**Yeah, I had this part done already.**

**Um... Enjoy...?**

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This was more than a disgrace to his household.

A disgrace would have been better than _this_. They may have been able to recover if Hinata had merely _disgraced_ the Hyuuga name, but this was far larger and far more scandalous than a simple **disgrace**. There were no words to describe the shame and humiliation his daughter has bestowed upon this family.

His _twelve_ year old daughter.

His _pregnant_ twelve year old daughter.

"Hiashi-sama."

The Hyuuga head slowly emerged from his thoughts and settled his deadly white eyes on the long haired brunette in front of him. His eyes slid to his right, where his daughter continued to whimper and cower in the sterile bed. He was fiercely tempted to activate his blood limit to bait his anger further, but he couldn't lose his temper.

He'd deal with the Uchiha boy soon enough.

"Hiashi-sama," the medical ninja said again, "she is four weeks along, but I fear there is...more."

"Of course." He huffed; his temperament refused to improve. "I did not expect _her_ to make this any less humiliating."

The woman coughed, uncomfortable. "Yes, well, I feel that it is best if we have the Uchiha's guardian present before I disclose all the information."

"He is an orphan. I am not aware nor have I ever took it upon myself to indulge in the personal life of a defective Uchiha."

"Sir... Given the boy's lineage and circumstances, I believe he is the Hokage's responsibility. With that being said, it is imperative that he is informed immediately."

"You expect me to take this atrocity to the Hokage himself?"

"Literally speaking, we should have him come here."

* * *

Pregnant...

Hinata was pregnant...

_He_ got Hinata...pregnant?

Hinata was going to have his...

That was impossible. Puberty for him only started last year...so there was no way his body could be producing semen potent enough to get a girl pregnant. Hinata herself could not have been long into puberty either, so there was just no way... He wasn't...

Sasuke looked up. The Hyuuga clinical room was empty except for Hinata, who was shuddering and hunched over in the bed.

There was no way this was happening. That day was meant to save their lives not ruin it. He couldn't be a...a _father_. There was still much to be done before he could even think about restoring his clan, and Hinata Hyuuga had never been nor was she currently in his plans to make that happen. He didn't _want_ Hinata to be the one to do this. If he was to be a father, he didn't _want_ her to be the one bearing his child.

His child...

Him, a father...

Hinata, the-

The door to the room opened and in came a medical ninja, Hiashi Hyuuga, and the Third Hokage. Adults rarely intimidated Sasuke these days, but the sight of both the Hyuuga and the old man only solidified the trouble he was in—trouble that had to be a massive mistake. The Hokage looked at Sasuke, who averted his eyes to the floor.

"How did this happen?" the Sarutobi asked, standing at the boy's side. His tone didn't hold any of the understanding lilts the Uchiha had grown accustomed to.

Hiashi stood at the foot of his daughter's bed, crossing his arms. "We both know _how_ this happened. In fact," he pointedly looked at the children, both of whom were rigid and refused to look up at anyone, "we _all_ know how."

The older man ignored his spite. "Perhaps that was the wrong question. What, exactly, is it that I need to hear?"

"Well, sir," the medical ninja addressed, lifting a clipboard from a table, "after we examined Lady Hinata, we found signs of..." She paused, deciding to use terminology the two accused could easily understand, "forced entry."

Sasuke's heart dropped.

Hinata fought down sobs.

"Forced?" The older man couldn't hide his shock. "This is for certain? Is it not possible that, considering her age, the act itself could have produced the same signs?"

She looked at the girl. She couldn't imagine what she must have gone through—how scared she must have been—and, even with two high-ranking men present, she couldn't find it in herself to indulge in the particulars. Not at her expense. "If you would like, I can walk you through our examination results, but, I assure you, this was not a case of consent."

"Leave the room, Kana," Hiashi's ominous voice demanded; though, with the way he had closed his eyes and was gripping the bedpost, it sounded more like a death threat.

The woman excused herself and quickly exited the room.

The room was tense, the air bursting with static and heat. Hinata tried to put herself in another place—a place where her late mother would comfort her and this all turned out to be the terrible effects of a genjutsu. Sasuke tried to assess all the information. With the way things were going, he was going to be accused of rape. But...it wasn't rape... He saved their _lives_, so he wasn't a rapist! If Hinata would just tell-

"Did you hear that?" Hiashi said, a slight laugh escaping him. "Did you hear _that, _Hokage-_sama_? That boy..." His eyes fell on Sasuke. He gripped the post tighter, a metal groaning filling the room. "That _boy_-"

"It happened on a mission a month ago," Sasuke said, his head still lowered. "We were ambushed. Three men took Hinata, and I went after her." He looked up, a dark glare directed at the heiress. "I saved our lives."

"You _raped_ my daughter."

"I _saved_ our lives," Sasuke insisted, his voice even. "Tell them, Hinata."

Hinata shook, refusing to speak. Is that how he saw it? There had been other options. He didn't _have_ to go through with that one. They could have fought. _He _could have fought.

"Hinata."

She couldn't forgive him. He claims to have saved them, but she couldn't forgive him. She didn't have much going for her, but that was the one thing she treasured most. And he... They made him...

"_Hinata_."

"I want to see Kurenai-sensei," Hinata pleaded, looking up. "I want to see sensei."

"You are in no position to make demands," Hiashi warned. "No one will know about this."

Sasuke turned to the Hokage, his desperation slowly building. "Wasn't that in the report? Kakashi and the others saw our condition—they _had_ to."

The Sarutobi had to think. These children were not denying what had happened, but now there was the possibility they were forced to do this? The reports Kakashi and Kurenai gave said they were ambushed and the two in question were taken. They had had battered appearances, but was there more?

He sighed, wiping his worn face. "I'm calling an immediate meeting with Teams 7 and 8."

"What do you intend to do?" Hiashi demanded. "You can't possibly-"

"With all due respect, your daughter has just been given the most horrendous news a girl her age can hear. If her senseis failed to give a proper report, then she deserves to hear why."

"I hope you do not intend to relay her current situation."

"The children of both teams will be interrogated separately, but Kakashi and Kurenai must know."

* * *

"I bet this is all your fault somehow," Sakura accused, arms crossed.

Naruto gaped at her. "_Me_? I haven't even done anything."

"Ha! With all those pranks you played in the past, I bet they're finding new ones no one ever saw before." She sighed, shaking her head. "You claim you want to become the best of the best, but you did things that are just going to hurt _all_ your chances. Now you're dragging your own teammates into this."

"Hey, for all we know, this is Sasuke's doing! He talks about revenge so much that they might strip _him _of all _his_ shinobi responsibilities."

"Don't talk about Sasuke that way! Unlike you, he knows how not to drag others down."

"Tck. Yeah right. You know, I bet this is all coming back to what happened on that mission. I mean, how great of a ninja can you be if you're just gonna get kid-"

Sakura rammed her fist down on his head. "I said don't talk about him that way!"

The two genin were escorted through the Hokage tower by a bodyguard. They were led to a room where, upon opening, Kiba and Shino were sitting inside.

"Ah, geez," Kiba groaned. "So it really must be about that."

"What are you talking about?" Sakura asked, looking around the box of a room. There was nothing in here except two extra chairs that must be for her and Naruto. The walls were white with a red stripe going across the top and bottom, but she couldn't have felt more suffocated.

"Our teams are being questioned, apparently." Kiba huffed, crossing his arms. Akamaru poked his head out his jacket, whining.

"Ha!" Naruto exclaimed, taking a seat. "Told ya this was about what happened."

"Well, duh!" Kiba fired. "I'm just surprised it took so long for anyone to actually _ask_ _us_ what happened! Both Sasuke _and _Hinata got attacked? It must be because of their eyes."

"It doesn't explain the condition we found them in," Shino said, his voice low.

Kiba shifted, trying to ignore that dangerous observation. "Yeah, well, we'll find out soon enough, I guess. Kurenai-sensei and Kakashi are being questioned right now."

"Uh-huh." Naruto nodded, only slightly interested. "So where _are_ Sasuke and Hinata, anyway?"

* * *

The copycat ninja and the genjutsu specialist were stunned. Both had taken to sitting down upon hearing the news, and it was just...too much to handle. Kakashi took to staring at Sasuke, who was standing beside the Third Hokage behind his desk. Kurenai took to staring at their leader, breathless.

"Where is she?" the woman asked.

"Her home. Being treated," the aged man answered. "But you can see her later. I want the both of you to explain to me why you failed to report that these children were not only badly beaten but _naked_ when you found them."

"Sir..." Kurenai began, shaken, "we... We wanted to save them the humiliation. If we had thought-"

"That was not your call to make. If that piece of information had been mentioned, we could have taken proper measures in evaluating both children and dealt with this issue far sooner. Not only that, but we could have dispatched a warning to all nations and villages about these heinous men who made these children commit these acts."

Kurenai and Kakashi were at a loss for words. They fully realized the mistakes they had made, but these things... This was not something they expected to happen. This has never _happened_ before. At least not to their knowledge. It had never once crossed their minds that shinobi—shinobi who were _children—_would fall victim to something like this.

And now their students were...

"She has asked for you, Yuuhi," the man said, leaning back in his chair. "You are to go there immediately so we can get her take on what happened." He paused, looking at her. "I suggest you get going."

The woman stood numbly, bowing, and left the room.

The Hokage turned his sights on Kakashi, who had not said a word. He sighed, looking at Sasuke, who was terribly solemn and withdrawn, staring at the floor. "In your own words, Sasuke," the Sarutobi said, his gentle tone earning Sasuke's attention, "what happened?" He turned his attention. "Kakashi. You owe it to this boy to listen."

The white-haired blinked a few times, unaware that he had nodded.

This was too much.

Sasuke didn't know where to start. He had to clear up any suspicion that he did what he did willingly, but the more he thought about it, the more it confirmed what the result had been.

A child...

_His_ child...

Growing inside...Hinata...

He swallowed hard, confused, scared, dumbstruck, and began with, "Three men ambushed us. Then there were two more waiting..." He shook his head, recalling everything. "If I didn't do it, they were going to kill us."

* * *

Hinata rocked herself back and forth, her hands at her sides. Her eyes felt heavy, and her body was numb.

She wondered if that's why she didn't feel anything.

It's not like she ever thought about it before, but there was...something...inside of her. She thought she should feel _something_. Maybe...a knot or a pressure or a void. But she didn't..._feel_ like there was a baby in...

A baby...

Sasuke's baby...

She groaned, lying against the wall. The tears were coming, but she was so tired of crying. She didn't want to cry because of what happened... It was never supposed to be this way, though. It was never supposed to be _Sasuke, __but_ now she was pregnant. Sasuke was the father.

She could never redeem herself.

Hinata began to hyperventiliate, her mind reeling at the dead-end she was in.

The door burst open, and Kurenai rushed in. Hinata had no time to voice a single word because her sensei had come directly to her, embracing her tightly.

"I'm so sorry," the woman whispered, pained. "I am so—_so_ sorry."

Hinata's tears spilled over, her stomach throbbing, and she held onto her sensei.

By the tone of Kurenai's voice, it was confirmed that this really couldn't be fixed.


	3. Chapter 3

**Why am I writing this...? Geez, fics with drama and junk is what I do best, but THIS... Geez. I know I'm upset about classes starting, but GEEZ! I can't say 'Enjoy' for this fic. No, no more.**

**Thanks for returning!**

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He wanted to sleep.

He wanted to have a dreamless slumber and wake up in his bed late at night. He didn't know if it would help, and he wasn't trying to make this all disappear, but he needed some stability. Things were happening one after the other and he just was not...ready. He needed time to assess each piece of evidence and make sense of it.

Again, he sighed, deciding now was a good time—an opportunistic time.

How could things have turned out wrong? He thought he was doing something _right. _When he found Hinata that day, he _did_ try to fight. He was able to take down three of the men before the other two jumped in; at which point, the other three pulled themselves together.

He remembered...taunting.

There had been a lot of taunting followed by a severe beating. He didn't even know Hinata was suffering the same physical damage as him.

And then...she screamed.

She tried to fight, too, but she was terrified when they started ripping her clothes off. He didn't remember what led up to _that_ despite some off-handed comments made, but she should have remained calm. She should have tried to come up with a solution.

But he saw what they were trying to do and he snapped. It _bothered_ him that _shinobi men_ were capable of that, so he tried to fight again. But...

**"How bad do you wanna live?"**

He groaned. Scrapping his fingers through his hair. What was he supposed to do? They only gave him two options, and, with the slashes and bruises they inflicted on them, neither he nor Hinata could fight. Was he just supposed to let them die? _He_ didn't want to die. He wasn't ready to die!

He wasn't ready for this either...

Sasuke closed his eyes, stumbling in and out of reality.

* * *

He thought it was excessive to have all these adults in the room.

_He_ had to be here because he was the Hokage, and he had to know Hinata's take on what happened. Kurenai was here because the heiress asked for her personally, and the woman did calm the child down for a time. However, Hiashi insisted on being present, but his very _presence_ was negatively impacting his daughter. A Hyuuga medical ninja was here—Kana, if he remembered her name correctly—and he was not sure why. They were all in the clinical room, so maybe she was necessary.

Hinata had managed to tell everything leading up to the ambush and some parts of a fight, but the assault needed assisstance. She kept glancing at her father—looking for either comfort or approval to go on—but she soon became unresponsive.

"Hinata," Hiashi said, his voice as flat as his expression. "We're waiting."

"U-um... I-it... Two of the m-men tried t-to... Um, wh-when they st-started to...t-to-"

"Hinata," the Third said softly, sitting on the bed to obscure Hiashi from her vision, "did any of the men force themselves on you?"

The Hyuuga wrung her hands, trying to keep eye contact with the man. "N-n-no. They only... They only took my clothes off...then...U-Uchiha-san tried to...st-step in..."

"And then?"

Her mouth opened and closed, forced sounds coming out. She shook, eyes watering. "H-he couldn't do anything!" she yelled, trying to remain calm. "They had–h-had cut us and st-stomped on us a-and hit us so much that...I-I don't even know how he was able to get up. Then... They brought him in front of me...and made him get to his knees..." She wiped her eyes, face red from embarrassment. "A-and asked us how bad we...we wanted to live."

The Third Hokage frowned, nodding to himself. "And that's when he gave the both of you the options?"

Hinata huffed repeatedly. "If Sasuke wouldn't have gotten up, this wouldn't have happened! They... They just wanted my eyes, but Sasuke being there... It made them angry! And he–he didn't have to go through with it! We could have just died, but Sasuke just-"

Kurenai wrapped her arms around the hysterical girl, gently shushing her and telling her to calm down. Hinata clung to the woman, her breathing hectic.

"Hokage-sama," the medical ninja whispered at the man's side, "she may have a panic attack if this line of questioning continues."

The man wiped his forehead, nodding grimly. Hinata was shaking, convulsing, and gasps were filling the room. So far, both Sasuke and Hinata's stories were matching; there may not be a need to make the girl recall all the details.

"Hinata," the man said cautiously, "do you know what village these men came from? Did you see their headbands, or did they use any special jutsus?"

Hinata's eyes became lidded, her head resting on Kurenai's chest; she was at her limit. "I don't... They didn't wear forehead protectors... They only... No jutsus were used." She closed her eyes, exhaling.

When she made no signs of saying anything else, the Third Hokage stood, thanking her for her time. As far as questioning went for the other members of the team, no one had gotten a glimpse of their attackers. That bit of information would have been the most helpful.

He motioned for Hiashi and the medic ninja to follow him into the hall. When the door closed behind them, he wiped his face, turning towards the Hyuugas. "These children are not to blame, Hiashi."

"That is still to be decided."

"What more do you need? Both children's stories match, and it is quite clear neither wanted to engage in those acts."

"Neither want to engage in the _results_. Do you honestly expect me to believe _adult_ shinobi would kidnap one child, have another follow, beat them senseless, and then force two dōjutsu users with _exceptional_ kekkei genkai to have _sex_ but make no attempt to take either of their eyes? With their teams lying unconscious, you expect me to believe they _wouldn't_ have taken at least one of those children?"

"I would expect the father of one of _those_ children to be grateful that didn't happen. If you would like, I can have Inochi probe their minds to confirm what happened, but, as far as I can tell, neither your daughter nor Sasuke lied about what happened."

"On what merit can you say they are not lying?"

"I have seen these children grow since they joined the Academy, so I am well within my rights to warn you not to dismiss or disrespect their honor and integrity by implying they would engage and try to cover up frivolous behavior."

Hiashi held his tongue, ready to explode, and instead roughly huffed. "Whatever the case, the fact of the matter is _you_ are not stuck with the child who has a _problem_ growing inside her."

The Hyuuga stormed down the hall, the air popping with his anger and heated chakra. The Third watched the man. Hiashi Hyuuga was a man of fierce emotions held under a stone façade, so it was hard to tell if his anger was truly out of concern for his clan's image or for his daughter's well-being.

He turned to the female, who had stood idly by. To his surprise, the woman had tears in her eyes.

"Pardon me, sir," she said hastily, wiping her tears away. "You must understand, I never prepared for a situation like this."

"It is alright," he assured. Truth be told, he hadn't either. "What are the plans for her?"

She sniffed, her brows scrunching. "Plans, sir?"

"Will she carry the child to term, or will the pregnancy be terminated?"

The woman's eyes widened. "I... Given all the chaos and confusion, that topic has not been discussed. I couldn't imagine making her see this pregnancy through, but... An abortion? I'm certainly not trained in that field, and I'm not sure any other member of the medical team has conducted many."

"We can admit her into the Konoha hospital."

"Lord Hiashi certainly wouldn't agree to that, even if nurses and doctors came here. He is adamant about not letting anyone else know about this."

The Sarutobi shook his head. If that was the case, this left him with no other option. "I will come back in the morning," he said. "I do not wish to cause too much stress for her or her unborn child, so...please make proper arrangements."

"For... For what, sir?"

He stared at the floor, thinking this over one last time. It was his turn to do what was right for her.

* * *

When the Sarutobi returned to his office, the evening light cast long, dark shadows across the room. Sasuke was seated behind his desk, his head resting on top, his arms most likely dangling because he could not comfortably reach. He walked over to the Uchiha, staring at him. This was a rare moment, he mused—Sasuke Uchiha with no scowl or distasteful frown. He chuckled to himself, stroking his beard laboriously. His good humor slowly faded as the reality of the situation forced itself upon him.

With his birthday coming up, Sasuke would be a father at the age of thirteen.

A child with a child.

The man swallowed hard, a painful constricting in his throat, and blinked away the stinging of his eyes. He would give anything to erase this situation for them. If he ever had any suspicion something like this would happen, he would have went to great lengths to try to prevent it.

But what would that be?

He could educate and prepare his people, but what could be said about the citizens from other villages? How could he stop the utterly heinous, evil, and perverted intentions of _other_ people?

And shinobi, no less.

Shinobi may take the lives of others and/or harm them, but shinobi still had honor.

Upholding honor should be every shinobi's ninja way.

Pushing down his anguish, he shook the Uchiha gently. Sasuke's eyes slowly opened, his parted lips closing. He blinked once, gaze blank, and finally noticed the man in the room. He looked at him, basking in something the Hokage couldn't determine, and sat back in the chair, stretching.

"Tired?" the man asked.

Sasuke shook his head, blinking around the room.

"Come," the man gestured, "I'll walk you home."

He got up without a word.

The man wrapped an arm around him and guided the child out of the tower and to his current place of living. They traveled in silence, allowing the warm evening air to calm them. Hiruzen mulled over this free time. He rarely had time to stroll through the village, and most of his time on the town had been to deal with unpleasant matters. He looked down at Sasuke. The boy was blank faced, eyes drooping. He must have been exhausted.

"I know you meant well, Sasuke."

He tensed but remained silent.

"I will dispatch a warning to all the villages and surrounding lands about these men. What they did is despicable, and, trust me, eternal peace is not something they will experience." He paused, finding he desperately wanted those words to be true. "I cannot tell you one choice is better than the other, but we must move forward from this, understand? We cannot change what happened, but we can determine how this plays out."

"What happens now?" Sasuke asked, voice almost soft. "What... What now?"

"I can only tell you what I know, which is you and your team will continue with the lower ranked missions, and your training regimen should be increased."

Sasuke didn't respond. When he looked up, the subtle signs of confusion were present. "That's it?"

"With the Chunin Exams coming up, I do believe there is more than this brief outline."

He opened his mouth, frowning deeper. He wanted to be more composed when he asked his next question, but he simply asked, "I'm not in trouble?"

The man sighed heavily. "Sasuke... I do not know what is in store for you when the time comes, but it is more than just 'being in trouble'. Will I punish you for what you did? No. You do not punish victims in a case like that. Will life be harder as a result of what happened? I strongly believe that is entirely up to..."

Sasuke waited, but the man was troubled. He didn't know how to go on. Instead, he gave Sasuke's shoulder a light squeeze.

"You both will make it through this."

They said no more as they ventured to the boy's apartment. He was moved from the second floor of the Uchiha compound some time ago, and he now resided in apartment almost as lavish. It was still too large for a child, but he wondered if Sasuke did not do well in small spaces.

When they reached their destination, the Hokage stayed briefly, just for comfort's sake. He said his goodbyes and bowed out the door.

"What about her?" Sasuke called.

Hiruzen turned back to him. "What do you mean?"

The Uchiha rubbed his head, looking away. "What's going to happen to the Hyuuga?"

There was a moment of hesitation.

"A lot," the man replied, offering a pained smile. He nodded once. "Excuse me."

And he left.

* * *

**The Next Day**

When Hinata awoke the next morning, she was groggy.

Heavy.

She looked to her right and saw an IV hooked to her arm but couldn't fathom why. She had not lost any blood, and the fatigue she felt for the past few days had been because of her lack of sleep. In fact, she hadn't been sleeping well far before that.

Throughout the day, Kana came to feed her, talk to her, help her to the bathroom, and just take care of her. Hinata didn't like the attention. The woman was radiating a maternal care, but it was all sympathy.

Pity.

By noon, Kurenai came to visit and sat on the bed with her. She was aware the woman was talking just to soothe her, stroking her hair, but Hinata had gone in and out of sleep. She was calm. While she knew her situation did not change, it was not burdening her mind.

When she woke again, she was no longer hooked to the IV. Kurenai was still next to her, her face solemn, but she smiled when she saw she was awake.

"Afternoon," she greeted. "How do you feel?"

"Tired," Hinata mumbled. "I miss my bed."

Kurenai laughed softly. "I believe this is your last day here. The Hokage is on his way to see you, so I'm sure you'll go back after he leaves."

Hinata looked up at her for a moment before looking at the table with the assortment of papers. She wanted to ask questions, but she didn't know what they would be or if she wanted to know the answers. Maybe it was the lingering effects of her medicine, but she could think about her situation and not panic; the trouble she was in felt real, but the baby inside her didn't. Maybe the medical team had made a mistake. She was too _young_ to be able to carry a baby inside of her.

She turned twelve just five months ago.

The door opened, and in walked the Hokage. Hinata forced herself to sit up, Kurenai steadying her.

"Afternoon, Hinata. Kurenai."

They both greeted him, nodding politely.

The man stood at the foot of the bed, taking a deep breath. He tried to smile. "Hinata," he began, picking his words as he went, "I will not try to instill you with a false sense of calm. I have come here...to inform you of my decision."

"Decision?" She looked at Kurenai, hoping for an answer, before looking back at him. "Am I... Is this p-punishment?"

The man's expression broke, causing him to take another deep breath. He quickly composed himself, his eyes bright and red, and shook his head. "No, this is not...but I have talked to your father. He is...firm in his decision about keeping this a Hyuuga affair, and, as I am to understand, the medical team of the Hyuuga clan does not have much experience with terminating pregnancies."

Hinata felt Kurenai become rigid, but she was too shocked herself. If he was implying she was going to get an abortion, it never crossed her mind. She had been so stuck on the idea of actually having a baby that any other option hadn't popped up.

But could she even do that?

If her father knew her clan was not capable of doing it, did that mean abortion wasn't an option? What-

"With that being said," he continued, forcing out each word, "I cannot, within my good judgement, allow you to continue your duties as a ninja."

She gasped, tears springing instantly. "I'm...I'm being suspended?"

"Hinata... I'm resigning you."

"Resi...?" Hinata shook her head, unable to stop the tears from spilling. "Ho-Hokage-sama, _please_, I... I can't resign. I don't... Being a ninja is... Pl-please, no." She covered her mouth, holding back sobs. "M-my team... I-I can come back s-s-someday."

He shook his head, holding back his own tears. "Considering your age, you will have to be monitored heavily throughout your pregnancy, and you cannot engage in any strenuous activity. Nine months of inactivity, plus the recovery time after pregnancy, will have you missing out on training, experience, missions, and I cannot have your team idly waiting. By the time you are able to participate, it would be too late to reassign you to an appropriate team."

Hinata flashed a horrified look at Kurenai. "Someone else...i-is going to take my place on...on my team?"

"Sir," Kurenai jumped in, "is this really your decision? To replace Hinata... Kiba and Shino will surely raise questions at this."

"Indeed," he said. "So, you can inform them of Hinata's resignation without revealing the full story, and it will be up to them if they add another kunoichi for a three-man group or become a two-man group. This would mean you would play a larger part, but I trust you to think about this responsibly-"

"Is there another option?!" Hinata pleaded. "I don't want to end my ninja career here! I-I can become so much more than what I am! I...I can be strong... I can be... I can be _brave_. I'm not just... I'm more than just..." She broke down, crying into her hands, despair crashing into her over and over again.

Kurenai held onto her tightly, desperate to change this in any way. She looked at the man, tears in her own eyes, begging for him to reconsider.

He shook his head, running the back of his hand across his eyes. "I'm sorry."


	4. Chapter 4

**Oh, manga Sasuke, Sasuke, Sasuke... What is he doing, amiright? Hahaha, he made me so mad omigosh why is he doing this?! Plus, college is stressing me out.**

**Thanks for returning!**

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It was as he sat in the company of Hiashi Hyuuga, waiting for his response, that the Third Hokage wondered just what the man's true emotions on the matter were.

The Hyuuga way, he knew, was to conceal emotion as if it were a dangerous beast deemed to never be tamed or acknowledged, but was it possible in any shape or form that he did not feel _anything_ for his daughter's woes? His daughter—his first born—had suffered, was suffering, and would suffer as a consequence of what happened, but he had shown little to no pain on _her_ account.

She would be a mother.

Him, a grandfather.

His youngest daughter, an aunt.

All because of the disastrously poor judgements of five unidentified shinobi.

Did that not warrant the caged beast known as Emotion to be unleashed?

"And what of _him_?" Hiashi finally ground out. "What of Uchiha Sasuke?"

The elder sighed, keeping a level head. "You may see that boy just as much at fault as those men, but he is a victim just like your daughter. He has endured her pains, and he has felt her grief; however, Uchiha Sasuke is fit to continue on as a shinobi. I see no reason to change that."

"He lacked the skill to prevail in _that_ situation; he has gotten my daughter pregnant, yet you claim he is no liability? It is now in his logic that sacrificing others will ensure his longevity. You want a danger such as him to continue amongst the _normal_ ninja?"

"You speak out of anger and not out of logic, Hiashi. Sasuke will be evaluated periodically and his adaptation to life will be monitored. It is not my place to say, but I believe Hinata should be, too. These are children we are dealing with. They are still growing and maturing, and, if you insist on making Hinata see this pregnancy through, her physical _and_ mental health will be greatly hindered."

"Then after today, it is best that _I _worry about my daughter, and _you_ just worry about him_."_

* * *

Sasuke awoke the next morning feeling...heavy.

Physically, he was fine, but life all of a sudden had an added weight to it for reasons he thought should have eased him.

He wasn't in trouble. He was aware his actions were not praised, but he was not in trouble. In fact, he was on the same level on the pity scale as Hinata, as far as the Hokage was concerned. Then he was told his training intensity should be increased. The thought of being demoted somehow had been at the front of his mind, but that had been a foolish worry, it now seemed.

And...

There was nothing said of his role as a father.

The Third Hokage did not blatantly say nor did he imply that he had to take responsibility as a parent. The Uchiha was well aware that, involved or not, he _would_ be a father, but was it merely a title he carried and not a responsibility? Hinata's father certainly did not want him around his daughter, or anyone of his family, so...

That was it?

He didn't have to think about that day or be involved with anyone concerning it, but that...

Sasuke pulled the blankets over his head, shut his eyes tight, and forced himself out of consciousness.

* * *

"And so, it is up to the both of you. We can continue on this way, but it would be advised that both of you become more acquainted with the medical arts. If you both decide to get a new kunoichi, we will have to back out of the Chunin Exams this year and wait until the next."

Kiba and Shino were silent, staring at their sensei with unabashed confusion. They looked at each other, hoping the other understood the situation, but neither had a fully clear mind.

"So..." Kiba blinked at Kurenai, his brows furrowing. "Why...are we replacing Hinata?"

"For reasons I cannot tell you both, Hinata has been resigned as a ninja."

"No."

Kurenai paused, unsure of what she heard. "What?"

"No," Kiba repeated, glaring, though he couldn't hide his confusion. "Just... No. Why? We're a _team_, and now you're saying we need to change that?"

"Think logically for a moment, Kiba," Kurenai said, forcing words as she went. "It has not been long since this team was assembled. No one is saying the three of you cannot still be friends when the time is right, but as far as being a team goes-"

"Teammates aren't just things to _replace_, sensei. We," he gestured between him, Akamaru, and Shino, "already trust Hinata with our lives, and now we're expected to trust some else?"

"It's not as uncommon as you think."

"I don't understand! You say Hinata is leaving us, but she never talked about leaving before! So, why are you taking her away?"

"The decision is out of my hands, Kiba. That is why I gave you both the option of becoming a two-man team or waiting a while to become a three-man team. If you want, you can even pick out the kunoichi yourselves."

The two genin shared another troubled look—this time with mutual understanding.

Shino adjusted his shades. "Until we speak with Hinata, I am afraid we can't come to a decision, sensei."

* * *

Naruto and Sakura walked briskly down the street. The pink-haired ninja adamantly listed off all the reasons why they shouldn't do what they planned to do, and Naruto listened, amused, with his arms folded behind his head.

"And lastly," Sakura said, her finger in the air, "Kakashi-sensei specifically told us not to bother him."

Naruto grinned, rolling his eyes. "Yeah. So, that explains why _I'm_ going, but what about you, _Sakura-chan_?"

Flinching, she flipped her hair at him, crossing her arms. "_Obviously_, I'm going to keep you from annoying Sasuke too much. Besides, I didn't see or hear him train this morning, so maybe he's not feeling well."

Naruto looked towards the sky, thinking. "Come to think of it... I haven't seen Sasuke since Hinata's family took him away."

Sakura pressed her lips together, resting her chin on her fist. "Well...I saw him yesterday when I was out with my mother..."

"Eh? Yeah?"

"Yeah... But he was with the Third Hokage, and... I would have thought Sasuke was in trouble, if the Third Hokage didn't look so...sad."

"The Third Hokage sad?" Naruto almost laughed, but he tried to picture it. The more he thought about it, the more he envisioned the old man sitting in the dark at the Hokage desk unable to stop a river of tears that soaked his shoes. "Whoa... Maybe we should be visiting him instead..."

When they arrived at Sasuke's apartment, Naruto knocked on the door. After two minutes of no reply, Sakura knocked, announcing that it was them waiting. Two more minutes passed, and Naruto became concerned, which was masterfully masked by irritation. He told Sakura to wait and proceeded to jump onto the roof.

Sakura was left curious, but instead turned her attention back to the door, knocking. "Sasuke, this is unusual for you. I know you're not the one to turn to us for help, but we can't just leave you like this."

There was still no reply, but there had been a bang, which was followed by shuffling and stumbling. The door swung open, and Sasuke stood there, looking at her blandly.

"Sakura."

"Ah, Sasuke-kun! Where have you been?"

"Never mind that, Sakura. What's more important is that you fall in love with Naruto."

She blinked, eyebrows scrunching. "Excuse me?"

"I'm no good for you. I'm a loner and Naruto is much cooler than I am. In fact-"

"Naruto," Sakura's face became dark and unamused, "if that's you, you better change now before I get angry."

"Eh..." Smoke poofed, and Naruto smiled warily. "I-it was just a joke, Sakura! Haha, I was just-"

"I'M ALREADY ANGRY!" Her fist collided with his face.

She walked inside, pass the fallen Uzumaki, and shut the door behind her. Looking around, she tried to get acquainted with Sasuke's new place of living. There was a small space in front of the door for taking off shoes on a dark place mat, and directly in front was a living room that was slightly too big for just one person. Off to the right was a small kitchen area; the left held another door that was closed. Across from where they stood, a darkened hall was located.

Naruto groaned, pulling himself up from the floor. "That hurt more than usual..."

"How did you get in here?"

He moved his mouth around in odd ways, stretching out his cheek. He pointed down the hall. "There's a window in the bathroom. His room might be the door right across from it."

The two walked straight down the hall and to a door on the left. Upon entering, it was definitely a bedroom, and, though it was dark, they could make out a form in the bed.

"Tck! He's just sleeping," Naruto said. "Geez, and it's the afternoon already."

Sakura looked around the room. Like the rest of the apartment, the proportions were a little too big for just one person.

And Sasuke was only twelve.

"I wonder if he gets lonely," she wondered aloud, walking to the curtained window on the other side of the bed to open it. When she turned around, Naruto was at Sasuke's bedside, eyeing the lump intently.

"He looks all balled up," he said, one brow raised. "Never took him for the fetal position type."

"Maybe it's not him." Sakura walked over and pressed into the figure, expecting it to be a bundle of blankets and pillows, but came in contact with a firm body. She pulled back when he shifted, almost stretching himself out before pulling in again. She looked at Naruto, who looked at her.

"Hey, Sasuke," Naruto said, his tone not expressing his concern. "You sick?"

"Do you need to go to the hospital?" Sakura asked tentatively.

He didn't respond, but he shifted, coming out of his balled position. "What are you guys doing here?"

Again, Naruto and Sakura shared a worried look. Sasuke's voice was thick and strained; it didn't sound like a normal sleep-voice.

"We came to check up on you," Sakura said. "It's three in the afternoon."

"Ah..." He was silent for a long time. "I'm not going out today."

"Eh? Whaddya mean?" Naruto asked, frowning. "We've got training to do."

"Not today," Sasuke said. His voice didn't hold any of the annoyance and superiority the blond was used to. "I can't today."

"Sasuke, you can't just-"

"Naruto," Sakura said, shaking her head. "We should go."

"But Sakura-"

"_Now_." She closed the curtains again and led Naruto out of the room, closing the door behind her. She pushed him to the front door and turned to him, her face grave. "Something isn't right."

"Yeah, I know." Naruto rubbed the back of his head. "You really just wanna leave 'im?"

"No...but...something's bothering him. Something has _been_ bothering him... Maybe that day... Well, you saw both him and Hinata that day. They were... Maybe..._something_ happened to them."

Naruto frowned. "Like what? They were beaten pretty bad, but you think it's enough to bother Sasuke? Sure, his ego is big, but he wouldn't-"

"Naruto. It never crossed your mind why they were... Why...they _weren't_ wearing...clothes?"

Naruto stared at her, his thoughts swirling around. In truth, his mind had glazed over that detail every time he tried to think about it. He didn't _want_ to delve too deeply as to why they would have been naked, but now only one conclusion was rammed through his brain.

But it still didn't make sense.

If both Sasuke and Hinata were attacked more than just physically... It just wasn't possible because that couldn't happen to _Sasuke_. Stuff like that didn't happen to boys—let alone _Sasuke_. There was no way Sasuke was r-

"Aaaaaaaaugh!" Naruto shut his eyes, ruffling his hair fiercely. "We won't ever know what happened, so we just gotta deal with what's happening now." He thought for a moment, mainly trying to push down this new train of thought. "He just needs to get out. I dunno, get Kakashi-sensei. I'll stay here and try to get him," he jabbed his thumb to the hall, "outta his room, at least."

"I don't know, Naruto... Your way of doing things is a little-"

"Hey, hey, hey." He grinned, his eyes determined. "Just trust me."

Sakura hesitated. It had become obvious that Naruto and Sasuke had an uncanny way of understanding each other, but she also knew their ways of expressing it were always with loud words and brutal actions. However, Naruto knew how to get through to Sasuke better than anyone... Maybe the Uchiha only responded to force and action.

"Alright," she said, still thinking. "But take it easy, okay? As soon as I find Kakashi-sensei, we'll be _right back_, got it?"

"Yeah, yeah." Naruto waved as Sakura left, and he continued standing in his spot until he heard her running feet disappear. The gleam in his eyes faded, and he turned to the hallway. It was a few minutes before he could get his feet moving, but, when he did, he walked straight to Sasuke's room. The Uchiha was back in his huddled position, and Naruto found his own face contorting in pain.

"What, Naruto?"

The blond crossed his arms. "Somethin's botherin' ya, right? So why're you here hiding from it like a coward?"

"You don't even know what you're talking about."

"Maybe not, but I do know you. The Sasuke I know doesn't just shut himself up and let his problems go unsolved."

"Maybe you never really knew me."

"Tck. If I knew you were really a wimp, then I wish I never knew you."

Sasuke didn't say anything.

Naruto frowned deeper, his arms tightening, and he snatched the blankets off the Uchiha. He pulled Sasuke out of his position and yanked him up by the collar. "What happened to you, huh? I've given you the benefit of the doubt this whole time, but if this sulking of yours is your way of trying to tell us something, then just say it already."

Sasuke glared weakly, his eyelids heavy. "What?"

"Did something else happen that day? To you?"

Impassive jet black eyes stared intently, highly defensive. Naruto had eyes made of liquid fire, and he was determined to burn through Sasuke's attempts to shut him out. It was always the same with him, Sasuke thought. It was some time after he first met Naruto that he realized the blond was eerily passionate about anything he claimed as important. He tried to deny again and again that _he_ was now important to him, but he never left him alone.

_Why_ didn't he just leave him alone?

Any other time...he would have wanted to be left alone.

Sasuke sighed, looking to the side. In swift motion, he deflected Naruto's arms away from him, freeing himself, grabbed the blond by the collar, and threw himself back on the bed, slamming Naruto over the edge. Naruto yelped when he hit the floor, staring up at the ceiling in a daze. Sasuke sighed again, rolling himself over, and stared down at his teammate. "I'm fine."

Naruto blinked up at him, breathy squeaks emerging from his parted lips. "I think...my back is broken."

The Uchiha huffed. "Yeah?"

Naruto saw Sasuke disappear from view, getting off the bed. When he came back, he held a dumbbell in one had, hovering it over Naruto's face. Blue eyes bulged, and he rolled out of the way right as the weight crashed to the floor. "What the hell?!" he screeched, staring wide-eyed on his hands and knees.

Sasuke looked at him for a moment. "It's not broken."

"Feh." Naruto stood and ripped the windows open. "So, you done with...whatever it is bugging you?"

"If I say yes, will you leave?"

"If you say yes, we can get some training in today."

Sasuke mulled the thought over. So this was life? This was how things could work out sometimes? He half expected everyone to know about what happened by now, but maybe that's just not how things worked all the time. Maybe he...didn't really do anything wrong. He wasn't punished, and he didn't enjoy what he did, so...he just had to move on?

Just like that?

It was...that simple?

He looked at Naruto, who was waiting for an answer. _His_ attitude didn't change towards him, but that's because he didn't know anything. And somehow...that was...

Sasuke sighed. "Fine."

* * *

Rage.

Hiashi's rage was short lived because he was a man of logic and action. Idly festering in emotions as blinding and crippling as rage would benefit no one except those who wanted to see him fall.

Hiashi's rage would never make him fall.

But Hiashi's rage was as fierce and dangerous near its completion much like a dying star.

The Hyuuga head sat in the Meeting Room, eyes closed, and focused on his breathing. When he heard the door open, he stared across from him, exhaling. "Neji."

"Uncle." The boy looked steadily at him—strong, calm, empowered. He hid his unease well. "You request a word with me?"

"Come."

Neji walked over, taking a seat on a cushion a few feet in front of him. Hiashi observed his nephew. He sat with his back straight, hands balled on his thighs, and held his gaze just as a true Hyuuga should.

Neji...

Why not Neji?

"I am sure you have your questions," Hiashi said.

Neji's brows lowered, a very subtle frown. "Your statement is unclear."

"You have seen the Hokage come and go from here, yes?"

"I have," he said apprehensively. "Initially, I linked it to Hinata's mission."

"And what do you know concerning that mission?"

This line of questioning confused the young Hyuuga. His uncle calling to speak with him was an oddity in and of itself, but now he was asking him about Hinata. If he thought he cared just because he brought her a medical ninja, then he was sorely mistaken. "I am afraid I do not know the particulars. To be honest, Hinata and I do not converse often."

"Is that so..." The man thought before going on. "No matter. You are well aware that, because you were born to the Branch Family, you are to serve the Main Family until the very day you die."

Neji's fists clenched. "Yes, my _father_ taught me that lesson very well."

"With that being said, to ensure the optimum level of servitude, you must know the conditions and statuses of those you serve, which leads me back to the topic of my daughter—your cousin—Hinata. She has officially lost every and all hope of taking over the Hyuuga Clan. I will admit that there were those who thought she would prove herself, but the Hokage himself has stripped her of the title 'Ninja'."

At this, Neji blinked. He was never an advocate for his cousin's sake and had always thought her efforts were a waste of time, but she was assigned to a team not so long ago. Why, after all this time, was she just _now_ being seen for what she was? The Chunin Exams would soon be upon them, so her team would surely be disqualified. It was...extremely ill-timed, if not unethical.

"And, if I may ask, what influenced his decision?" Neji found himself asking.

"She is pregnant."

Neji became rigid.

"The Uchiha impregnated her."

He couldn't get a word in.

"That is all." Hiashi closed his eyes, officially ending the session. "You may go."

He didn't remember much after talking with his uncle.

Neji wasn't thinking much of anything.


	5. Chapter 5

**Answering a question: Why did Neji get angry/care last chapter? I do a lot of thinking, so... I would think a 13 year old Neji would be shocked that his 12 year old cousin got pregnant. Like, he hated her, but he also knew her character and what she was like, so, ya know, news like that would hit hard. And Hiashi made it sound so...eh-eh.**

**Thanks for returning!**

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* * *

**Three Days Later**

* * *

The Third Hokage shifted through papers at his desk; there were a lot of things he had to prepare for simultaneously. He had to convene with the Kages and each respective daimyō of the remaining Great Nations to structure and edit the roster for the genin who will participate in the Exams. There was also the issue of fortifying all arenas where matches will be held. No matter what village the Exams took place, there was always someone who planted a trap or tried to rig the arena. Often times it was a relative of one of the genin, but these were just minor worries.

The main focus had to be on Sasuke, but it was hard to find the right amount of time.

He needed to pick someone to evaluate the Uchiha, but Sasuke was a difficult person by nature. The only way to get an accurate psychological evaluation would be to either find someone the Uchiha trusted, or find someone who could read children without some use of ninjutsu. However, there weren't many _children_ Sasuke opened up to, let alone adults.

Then there was the matter of whether or not to tell the Fire Daimyō about Sasuke and Hinata. He had hesitated on that detail simply because the Uchiha Clan was a very delicate subject with those of higher power. If they knew Sasuke got Hinata pregnant, it would not matter to them that he was forced to do it. They'd force him to resign and demand that he be locked up, and those in charge were not delicate or kind in sensitive matters; Hinata's pregnancy would surely be known to the village, which would cause a great tension between the Hyuuga and Konoha.

And then there would be tension between the villagers and all shinobi.

Sasuke wasn't a threat—he believed that to the very core of his being; however, if people treated him like one, it would be easy for him to succumb to their portrayal of him.

Hiruzen sighed, rubbing his head, and focused on the papers in front of him. He needed to give his full attention to the young Uchiha, but there was no way to do that without slacking in his own duties.

* * *

It had to be more than simple information for him to tuck away for himself. There had to be a motive or some kind of scheme, but...Neji couldn't find anything.

He had a lot of time to think about and evaluate what his uncle told him, but then there was the issue of how it all impacted himself. Hinata was neither his concern nor someone he would risk his life for, even if the seal on his forehead reminded him of why he _should_, but it... The more he thought about it, he _had_ to confirm it.

He had to make certain for himself.

His uncle would not see him again, so he relied on his own eyes.

And reality had been strange.

As logical as he was, he expected to see something that resembled a fetus, but he instead saw a small blockage in her lower abdomen. He would have dismissed this if not for the faint channels leading to the blockage coming from Hinata herself.

That was her baby—already beginning to get nutrients from her.

So, she really was...

Neji stood in the doorway of Hinata's room. His cousin was sleeping; she was doing that more and more these days. Even as he stared at her—confirming the obvious over and over—he couldn't believe it. If she was pregnant, then why had his uncle not made a fuss about it? He came to the conclusion that maybe Hinata was too far gone in his eyes, so the man simply didn't care.

So, why would he bring up _his_ loyalties to the Main Family and then relay Hinata's condition?

Was that just an excuse? Did he mean to humiliate her by telling members of the family? Perhaps telling someone from the Branch Family was supposed to be demeaning. If that was the case, then any concern that almost surfaced was foolish, but...

She was...pregnant.

Hinata was only twelve... She's a child!

And the way her child was conceived couldn't have been consensual. She had cried for days on end. She was reluctant to leave the house.

So, it was forced?

Someone forced Hinata to... She was _forced_ to...

_"The Uchiha impregnated her."_

Neji stared a moment longer, his mind going numb.

He had a mission today.

* * *

"Bastard!"

"Idiot."

"Stuck up jerk!"

"Stupid loud-mouth."

Sakura sat back as Naruto and Sasuke went back and forth. They were waiting for Kakashi at the Training Grounds, and the kunoichi was amazed at how fast things snapped back to normal. Her teammates were exchanging their most sincerest terms of endearment, and Sasuke was just so... He was just...

Happy?

At ease?

Free?

She wasn't sure, because the boy was as stoic as ever, but he was certainly in a good mood.

She smiled, her eyes lingering on a livid Naruto. As much as she hated him sometimes, she was grateful that he was..._Naruto_. When she returned to Sasuke's apartment those days ago, the Uchiha was out of bed, dressed, and bickering with the blond like nothing had happened. Sometimes it...hurt...when she realized the bond between the two didn't have her included, but they had only just become a team. Naruto and Sasuke had a progressive rivalry/friendship way before her exposure to the two.

Nonetheless, she was content with how things were. She giggled to herself, enjoying the never-ending feud before her.

o0o0o

Kakashi sat in a tree and watched his students below. His attention, however, was more drawn to the dark-haired child more than anything. He wouldn't admit to himself, or anyone, that he had been avoiding Sasuke because he wasn't.

Not consciously.

In fact, he's been wary around all his students. His life has been nothing but an additional life lost by his own neglect or unawareness, but this was by far the worst. Two lives were lost, and he had to face the result of it through the eyes of children. The look of utter hopelessness on Sasuke's face would forever be etched into his mind, and while his student appeared to be normal again, he knew his life had completely changed. The details of Hinata's pregnancy and Sasuke's future role in it were a mystery to him, but he desperately wanted to know how the Uchiha was doing. He wanted to help him in some way, but what could he do? He never had to deal with a ruined life after the fact, but Sasuke hadn't died.

Sasuke was still here.

Sasuke was...

...dealing with it little by little.

He was moving on.

Kakashi could learn from him.

He jumped from the branches and landed below, gathering his calm.

"Sensei!" Sakura chimed, getting to her feet. Her mood quickly changed, and she balled her hands at her hips. "Late as always. If you're going to enter us in the Chunin Exams, then we really need to train."

"Right, right," Kakashi said dismissively, walking towards them at his leisure. "We _are_ a little behind, so it's going to get a _little_ tough from here."

"Ha!" Naruto scoffed. "You may have gotten me with your first tests, sensei, but you better not hold back 'cause you're not gonna get me again!"

"Is that so?" the white-haired drawled. "Then let's make a bet. If you manage to not fall for even one of my tricks today, I'll teach you a new jutsu."

Naruto's eyes lit up, a wide grin making him appear younger.

"But," Kakashi went on, "if you lose, no ramen for a month."

"Wha-?!" The blond's face became disastrously devastated. "That's not a fair trade at all!"

"Mm... You're right. Make it three months."

"You're not making any sense! I deserve at least _two_ jutsus in return!"

"We can bet as many as you like, but it's all in vain."

As Naruto erupted with disapproval, Kakashi looked past the blond at Sasuke. The Uchiha noticed the concern directed at him and held his sensei's gaze. After a while, the dark-haired shrugged, rolling his eyes, and looked somewhere off to the side. Kakashi huffed to himself, somehow reading his gestures better than he would have ever thought.

_Don't worry about me. I'm fine._

Even if it was only temporary, Sasuke had found his calm, and Kakashi was determined to not mess this up again.

* * *

**That Evening**

Training had proven to be as predictable as ever.

Almost.

Sakura was distracted when it came to Sasuke. Kakashi wondered if she tried too hard to be feminine instead of exerting her true prowess, which would probably attract the Uchiha's attention. As Naruto was concerned, she skillfully neglected him but did show concern if she perceived him to be in life-threatening danger. The white-haired would have to encourage her true strength to surface sometime soon.

Naruto lost his bet due to his overwhelming cockiness, and, as always, he gave Kakashi quite a hard time beforehand. Naruto's resiliency and potential strength surprised him every time he experienced it, so Kakashi had to go out of his way to conquer over the blond, lest he slack in his training and self-discipline.

Sasuke's lack of concern or awareness for his teammates were back in place, but Kakshi noticed this as a masterful act. The Uchiha, at times, demonstrated actions that were unnecessarily protective over Naruto and Sakura, such as deflecting weapons, stepping in front of attacks, and forcing them out of any sign of danger. Kakashi supposed these were good reflexes to let him hone, but it was just training. Sasuke was trying _too_ hard, but, perhaps, it couldn't be helped. He couldn't just tell him to calm down.

"Alright," Kakashi said, sitting on top of a livid Naruto. "That's all for today. We'll start again tomorrow around nine in the morning."

"Yes, sensei," Sakura complied, hiding her exhaustion. Sasuke merely grunted.

"Sasuke," Kakashi said, getting off of Naruto. "Stay a minute." He paused, noticing his other two students not leaving. "You both can go."

They hesitated, curious why they couldn't stay and listen, but ultimately left with grumbles and the dragging of feet. When Kakashi could no longer sense their presences, he turned to Sasuke, who had his hands pocketed and was looking off to the side.

"I've been told to increase your training difficulty," Kakashi said.

"Un."

"So, I'll need to see you outside the gates at five in the morning starting tomorrow."

Sasuke frowned, still looking away. "Hn."

"Sasuke... I'm not quite sure what to say about... I'm not trying to keep you stuck on what happened, but how...are you?"

The Uchiha was silent, appearing as though he had not heard a thing. He looked at Kakashi, the emotions in his eyes too turbulent for the man to decipher. "As far as I'm concerned, I'm not supposed to think about it."

"But do you?"

He shrugged, huffing, and rolled his eyes to the side. "All the time." His brows furrowed, and he began to shift his weight from foot to foot. "It... It's not like I don't..."

Kakashi put a hand on his shoulder, stopping him but not sure what to say himself.

Sasuke shook his head; he wasn't used to _wanting_ to express himself, but he had no idea how to do that anymore. "It's a lot."

"Yeah... Yeah, it is. Just..." He patted his shoulder. "I'll see you tomorrow."

"Hn."

Kakashi watched his student walk away. He shouldn't have attempted to be the comforting type.

* * *

When Sasuke emerged from the Training Grounds, Naruto and Sakura were waiting for him. He allowed himself to be greeted and consumed in their auras of camaraderie and warmth. He wondered if he could ever go back to hating it. Right now, he needed it—only a bit at a time.

If he kept on like this, he would be okay. He couldn't keep thinking about Hinata because she would be fine. Her clan was wealthy, cunning, and resourceful, so this wasn't _the end_. Hinata wasn't his problem, so he had to worry about himself.

And oddly...that could now ease him.

"So, how 'bout we all get something to eat?" Naruto offered.

"You only eat ramen," Sasuke muttered.

"So, let's eat some real quick. It's not like Kakashi-sensei will know."

"What kind of ninja goes back on his word?" Sakura countered. "If you can't do something this simple, then how can we trust you with anything else?"

"It's just ramen, Sakura-chaaaaaan! That's all I got at home, so what else am I supposed to eat for three months?"

"You could try something with more vegetables. You'll never grow by ramen alone." She turned her attention to Sasuke. "I can't stay out too long because my mom is cooking tonight, so maybe you'd like to eat at my house, Sasuke-kun."

He grunted, despite seriously thinking it over. "I'll pass."

"I'll go, Sakura!"

"No."

"But you were going to invite Sasuke anyway!"

"That's different."

* * *

"I don't know how I feel about this."

"What do you mean?"

Team Gai—minus one Might Gai—sat under an old, wooden gazebo. It was splintered and rotted all over, but it was slightly off the main road, so they waited for their sensei. Their mission had been delayed by twelve hours, so the group was rather restless. Tenten frowned behind her propped hand and drew small circles on the wooden table with her other.

"This whole issue with the Chunin Exams," she started. "We should have been official ninja _last_ year. Now we're going against genin younger than us."

"Not everyone is younger," Lee said jovially. "And it is only now that Gai-sensei thinks we are ready."

Tenten didn't comment on that. It was clear their sensei didn't let them enter because _Lee_ wasn't fully prepared last year, but she shouldn't have been surprised. Gai was pretty fair to all of his students, but it was in his nature to focus on Lee more—not like it was a problem. Neji had an infamous lineage to learn from, and she herself had become better by training on her own time. She supposed the group sessions they did spend together were just to test their techniques on each other and learn from any and every mistake. In fact, she'd be lying if she said she wasn't eager to see how much Lee had progressed over the years.

And Neji...

She looked at the Hyuuga, who was leaning on his hand and staring intently to the side. He was more...dark today. Actually, that wasn't quite right because Neji's emotions were never easy to detect, so she couldn't say there was a huge change in him, but...

He was slouching.

Neji hardly ever slouched, but maybe that wasn't something to raise flags over. But she was sure she could feel a rift of sorts coming from him. She wondered if asking him would clear anything up.

"So...anyway..." she sighed. "This will be our first mission at night. Kind of exciting, huh?"

"Absolutely! Nothing says teamwork like risking life and limb at the failing of our vision!"

"That's...not exactly something to cheer over, Lee..."

Neji could hear his teammates talking, and he actually tried to be attentive, but his mind was always snatched back to his cousin. Speculation was never a good thing to dwell in, but he kept thinking about _how_ she could have gotten pregnant. His uncle only gave the minimum amount of information, so there had to be more to it. Of course, there was only way for Hinata to get pregnant, and if she had time to do that, then it was a good thing she wasn't a ninja anymore.

But that didn't fit with anything he knew...

Logically speaking, if the Uchiha really was the one to have gotten her pregnant, then that was close to impossible because, when Hinata wasn't at home, she was with her team. In both cases, she would have been training non-stop to better herself, and, though Neji thought it idiotic when he saw her, he _did_ see her train more than she slept. Hinata wouldn't have had the _time_ to engage in sexual behavior—not to mention the smallest thing could render her too embarrassed to function.

So, the only time she could have interacted with the Uchiha was on her mission with Team 7, which may have been the first time the two were in such close proximity with each other. There could be other times Neji overlooked, but he was certain _that_ was the time it happened.

But Hinata was badly injured when she returned... And she had been virtually terrified of everything... And she had cried...a lot...

Was that... Did _he_ do that to her? Did he really force her? Did he brutally beat her before...

Neji's jaw clamped tight, his fists clenching. It shouldn't bother him. Whatever happened to Hinata or anyone of the Main Family was just karma finally catching up to them, but what exactly warranted the Uchiha to beat her, force himself on her, and...and...

_Why_ was Sasuke still a ninja?

Neji exhaled quietly through his nose, his heart pounding wildly in his chest. He was agitated, and he needed to release this irrational, blinding surge of emotion that was beginning to torment him.

His ears perked at the sound of Naruto's shrill voice. His eyes followed the sound and locked on to Team 7. They were walking together—Naruto and Sakura as animated as ever—and Sasuke was...looking the same as always.

Indifferent.

Uncaring.

Self-absorbed.

And something snapped.

Tenten and Lee stopped their conversation when their teammate stood up.

Tenten quirked a brow. "Neji?"

* * *

"You can only come if Sasuke comes! That's it!" Sakura said, not realizing how much she was giving in.

"But he doesn't wanna go!" Naruto reasoned, becoming desperate. He turned to the dark-haired. "I'm not gonna beg you to do this for me, but _do this for me, you stubborn bastard!_"

Sasuke looked sideways at him. "No."

"Why do you give me such a hard time, huh?! Ya know what, forget it! Forget it! See if I ever help you out with anything!"

"Hn. Poor me."

"Am I the _only_ one you ever annoy?! One day, somebody'll-"

Sasuke crashed to the ground, skidding backwards. Naruto and Sakura stopped, staring at their fallen teammate in bewilderment.

"What the-?" Naruto looked forward. "What the hell, Neji?!"

The Hyuuga stood in front of them, his mind extremely clouded. He didn't know what he was doing. If it was because of _her_, then he didn't know why he was doing it. He didn't care. _He didn't care_. He shook his head, frustrated with too many things. "Get up."

"Neji!" Tenten and Lee rushed over. "What are you doing?!"

He ignored everyone, walking towards the Uchiha. "I said get up."

"Back off!" Naruto punched the older boy, causing him to stumble back. "Just what the heck is your problem?!"

"This doesn't concern you."

"The hell it doesn't! You think I'm just gonna sit back and-"

Naruto's world turned upside down, his back making contact with the ground. He blinked, too shocked to feel pain, and sat up. He was feet away from everyone else with Lee blocking him in a fighting stance.

"Wait... Hold on..." Sakura blinked, looking at a fallen Sasuke, a fallen Naruto, and two older boys who were standing in their way. "What are you guys...trying to do here?"

"I am sorry, Sakura," Lee said, not looking away from Naruto. "But if Neji has taken it upon himself to act so rash in a public setting, then I can only assume he has a good reason." He hesitated, doubting his own words. "Therefore, I cannot not allow Naruto to interfere."

Tenten shook her head, looking between her team. "Hold on, guys! Lee- no. Neji! What is this about?"

Neji stared down Sasuke, allowing his swirling emotions to take over him. Sasuke stared back, clutching his throbbing eye. Analyzing the situation, he came to a conclusion.

This was how it was going to be.

The Hyuuga household only had one view of him, and they weren't going to let him live it down. They didn't care about the whole story. They didn't see him as anything but a threat.

He was a monster to them.

Dropping his hand, Sasuke got to his feet. He wasn't going to justify his actions anymore. It wouldn't stop this situation either way.

When Neji's Byakugan activated, they clashed.


	6. Chapter 6

**Oh, Naruto... Coming to a close... Never thought the day would actually come.**

**Kusarigama is a chained scythe. Think a more hand-held version.**

**Enjoy!**

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Someone once told Hiruzen Sarutobi there would come a time in his reign as Hokage where he would become numb to an event due to the intensity and seriousness of the issue. After the Kyuubi had attacked the village, after many people had lost their lives, after he had no choice but to continue to serve the village, Hiruzen was sure that time of numbness would never come. He never _wanted_ that time to come because he was sure that would be the moment he would stop caring and truly fail as the village protector.

He wished that had been the case.

That time of numbness had come, but it wasn't because of what happened to Hinata and Sasuke. It wasn't because of the callousness he had witnessed of Hiashi Hyuuga. It didn't even come when he tried to fathom how the birth from such a small child would go—and he feared it would not go well. It wasn't even when guards burst into his office to tell him that Neji Hyuuga and Sasuke Uchiha were fighting in a public space.

It wasn't until he saw two bruised, enraged children trying to kill each other that Hiruzen, for the first time in his life, went completely numb.

When he found them, Kakashi and his team, along with Gai and his team, were trying to restrain the dōjutsu users, keeping them far apart, struggling to keep them from lunging at each other or perform hand signs. Neji's right cheek was bruised, the corner of his mouth bleeding, and there were signs that he had been burned here and there; his Byakugan, for the briefest of moments, intimidated even him.

And Sasuke...

He had a black eye, his face was covered in awful bruises and cuts, his bared teeth red with blood, and, despite trying to break free, his movements weren't being executed well. It was unclear if he had not used his Sharingan or if he did not have the strength to do so.

The surrounding area was littered with broken objects, craters, dying flames, and people who had not escaped fast enough and were cowering in shops or behind trees.

Hiruzen stood as he was, no one taking notice of him, and tried to understand just what had happened in less than a week for this to have occurred.

"Neji, stop!" Tenten yelled as he broke free, running full force at a distracted Team 7.

"Tenten! Lee!" Gai roared.

Tenten produced a scroll, quickly summoning weapons, and picked out a kusarigama. She swung the weighted chain over her head, taking aim, and hurled it at the Hyuuga. Lee ran, passing the weapon, passing Neji, and turned on his heel. When Neji found himself bound by the chain, Lee kicked with all his strength, aiding Tenten in pulling Neji back. Gai caught him, and, in two swift jabs to the neck, rendered him unconscious.

"Watch him," he said, handing the boy over.

Tenten took her teammate, rattled, kneeling to the ground. "Did we overdo it?"

"He wasn't going to stop," Gai reasoned, his usual joyful attitude gone. "Lee!" he called, his student rushing over. "You both were here. Why didn't you stop this fight before it happened?"

"I am sorry, Gai-sensei! It happened so fast-"

"There wasn't any warning," Tenten gushed.

"And I, admittedly, truly believed he had a good reason to fight Sasuke. But...after seeing them actually fight..." Lee bowed his head, shutting his eyes. "I am truly sorry!"

"Lee..." Tenten said, conflicted that he was intent on making this more his fault than Neji's. Even she was starting to wonder if she could have prevented...whatever it was that got Neji so angry.

Gai stared at the unconscious boy. There wasn't a reason in the world he could come up with as to why Neji was so brutal. Fighting aside, his student was so calm and calculated when he used his techniques, but he saw a completely different side to him.

It was dangerous.

Ruthless.

Gai looked over at Team 7, seeing if they were still having trouble, but jolted when he saw Hiruzen and two of his guards. "L-Lord Third."

Team 7 looked behind them, shocked and slightly uneasy with his appearance. Hiruzen noticed Sakura had tear stains on her cheeks; Kakashi was holding down an injured Uchiha, and...

"What happened to you?" he asked Naruto, referring to his burned clothes and raw skin on his face and hands.

"I...jumped through Sasuke's fireball."

"Why?"

"To catch him off guard."

"...Did you?"

Naruto smiled brightly, achievement radiating from him. "A little fire can't stop Konoha's greatest."

Hiruzen closed his eyes, breathing in deeply. Two beaten, one shaken, and one burned...

When his numbness wore off, he would feel the agonizing effects of seeing these sights.

He sighed, his breathing appearing to be a task, and turned to his guards. "One of you please escort Neji Hyuuga home. The other escort Naru... Actually, both of you take Neji home, and please inform Hiashi that I will visit him soon."

"Yes, sir." They bowed, walking towards the other team.

"Kakashi, please take both Sasuke and Naruto to the hospital. I will be there after I escort Miss. Haruno home."

Sakura blinked up at him, shaking, unaware of her resurfacing tears. "B-but I-"

"Now, now," he said softly. "Your dedication to stick by your team is highly admirable, but you have witnessed quite a bit. By now, I'm sure this incident has been spread throughout the whole village, and it is best to get you to your family before they worry. Come," he gestured, extending his arm. "Let's go."

Sakura got up, legs shaking, and allowed herself to be led away.

The remainder of Team 7 watched them go. It was Kakashi who finally broke the little trance they were all in.

"Can you stand?" he asked Sasuke.

"I'm fine." He tried to get up, but winced, feeling an immense pain in his side. He hissed, but felt himself slightly choking on his own blood. Sputtering, he tried to intake air, but everything was suddenly so painful.

"Right." Kakashi picked him up, much to the Uchiha's discomfort and embarrassment. "I think some things may be broken." He looked down, seeing Naruto picking up things off the ground. "Naruto, let's go. You're going to get an infection playing in the dirt like that."

"Look." He stood, showing his sensei what he had gathered. "He lost some teeth."

"Put those down," Sasuke wheezed.

"I want them."

"Put—them—_down_."

Naruto stuck his tongue at him, pocketing the three molars.

Sasuke glared at him, annoyed for reasons he couldn't understand, and spat blood at the blond's feet.

Naruto screeched, jumping back. "What the hell?!"

"Enough," Kakashi said, exhausted. "Let's go. You both need help."

* * *

The third Hokage concluded he didn't like it when children cried. When adults cried, they were usually at their breaking point because life, as they knew it, was too much for them; they were overwhelmed and need to recharge. However, when children cried, they didn't really know what was going on or why they were crying. That is, they sensed a rift in their lives, but they didn't fully understand what it was.

When he returned Sakura to her parents, she cried upon seeing them, not able to say much through her distress. He explained that a member of her team had clashed with another and it was a shocking experience for their daughter.

But it was far more than that.

It didn't take much to realize this wasn't a case of Neji fighting Sasuke. This was a _Hyuuga_ attacking Sasuke. Or, in their eyes, _punishing _Sasuke. If problems like this were going to continue to arise, then he needed to do something to protect him, and, after deciding he was not going to tell the Fire Daimyō, he had to do it his own way. However, there wasn't much he could do without one of those instigators finding out. And now the Hyuugas were just as troubling...

When he arrived at the hospital, Naruto had been given some salve and his hands were wrapped up. Sasuke was in the bed, his shirt removed as a medical nin used healing chakra to tend to his side. His face was swollen mostly on his left, and his black eye looked darker than when he had first saw it. Kakashi was at his side and offered his greetings.

"Hey, old man," Naruto grinned, pulling something out of his pocket. "Sasuke lost some teeth. Can I keep them?"

"No," Sasuke spat.

"Why do you need them?" the Third Hokage asked.

Naruto clenched his hand, frowning. "I just do."

"...As long as you don't plan to do voodoo with them, I don't see why not." He walked to Sasuke, who must have forced himself to frown because the act looked quite painful. He looked to the medical ninja. "What all does he have?"

"Besides the bruises, he has severely fractured ribs, but it should be mostly healed in the morning. He'll have to take it easy for a day or two."

"And his teeth?"

"They were loose anyway," Sasuke muttered.

"All three?"

He grunted. "It's not the first time I've been hit in the mouth."

"I see..." He turned his attention again. "Kakashi, Naruto seems to be well enough, so can you please escort him home?"

Kakashi stood. "Yes, sir."

"Wait!" Naruto protested. "I can get home just fine on my own when I'm ready!"

"What he means," Kakashi said, "is that we have to leave now."

He frowned, crossing his arms, glaring at the Third. "How come you're giving all this special treatment to him, old man? I never received this much attention from you."

Hiruzen smiled. "I never knew you wanted my attention so badly."

"I don't! But I'm more interesting than, _Sasuke_. I mean..." He scrunched his nose. "Not lately, I guess. He's got all his weird stuff going on with him, and-"

Kakashi grabbed Naruto by the collar, walking out the door. "Let's go."

As Naruto's protests echoed throughout the building, the Third Hokage pulled up a chair next to Sasuke's bed and sat down.

"I'll give you two the room," the medic nin said, handing Sasuke a bag of ice.

When she left, the Third smiled woefully. "My sincerest apologies, Sasuke."

The boy shrugged, holding the bag to his cheek, staring at the bed sheet. "I might as well get used to it."

"This _will not _happen again." Sasuke merely laughed, rolling his eyes. The man rubbed his chin, clearing his throat. "Did Neji give a reason why he attacked you?"

He grimaced. "He didn't have to. It's not like he didn't have a reason."

"You can't let this get to you. What he did was wrong and uncalled for, yes, but understand he is not fully to blame."

"Right. Because of me-"

"That's not what I mean. Sasuke, the Hyuuga household... The Branch Family, that is... If they are given orders by someone of the Main Family, whether or not it is implied, they do as they are told, and that can lead to very rash decisions. I know this is tough for you, but you cannot allow yourself to become what they perceive you to be."

His frown deepened. "So just let them attack me and not fight back? I'm not just-"

"I will have a talk with Hiashi. I _assure_ you, this will not happen again, but if anyone tries to provoke you, you have to walk away from it."

Sasuke looked at him, his battered face speaking for itself. "Yeah." He lied down, pulling the blanket over his head. "We'll see how well that works."

He tried to think of something to comfort him, but that wouldn't do a lot of good when he failed at protecting him—twice. At this rate, Sasuke would become closed off from people—everyone he knew—and then he really would become corrupt. He had to prevent that from happening, but he didn't—know—how.

"Have you eaten?" Hiruzen asked.

"I don't have much food," Sasuke muttered.

He jolted, concealing it well. "You don't?"

"I haven't been out."

"I see... Well, I can take you shopping later. Are you hungry now? I can get you something to eat."

"I can't chew."

"Something soft to chew then? Perhaps you want something to drink."

Sasuke didn't move for a long while. When he did, he rolled for a bit, moving the blanket so that his face was exposed. He wanted to ask why he was on his side—why he wasn't treating him the way Hiashi, Hinata, or Neji had treated him—but if it turned out that this wasn't sincere—that no one was really looking out for him—he knew he would break.

* * *

**That Night**

He was pleased.

When Hiashi found his bound, unconscious nephew had been escorted not only by his team but guards of the Hokage as well, he had been very pleased. Neji did more than he thought he would, but, of course, he couldn't let it show.

"What is the meaning of this?" Hiashi's low voice rumbled. He was seated in his quarters, and across from him sat his ever gracious Hokage.

"Do not act coy. You expect me to believe that Sasuke's current condition is not partly your fault?"

"In what way? I wouldn't dare raise a hand against a child."

"You _manipulated_ your nephew into attacking him."

"I did no such thing. I merely told him of Hinata's predicament. Considering their ages, Neji would be the prime protector of my daughter; I can't help how he goes about doing that."

"I see. So, you told Neji what Sasuke did was not of his own free will?"

Hiashi closed his eyes briefly, rolling them. "I did advise you to watch that boy. What my nephew does with the information he is given is out of my hands. If you wish to protect the Uchiha, lock him up in a place that we cannot infiltrate."

"You listen to me, Hiashi," Hiruzen said, his voice a low boom bouncing off the walls. "Whether or not the fate of your daughter is fair has _nothing_ to do with Sasuke. Against my better judgement, I have allowed you to speak ill of the boy, but putting his well-being in danger is the most vile thing yet. You even risk your own nephew so long as your own hands remain unsoiled. This is your final warning: If you so much as cause a scratch on him from this moment on, I will consider the treaty between your clan and this village void, and you can take the entirety of your family to whatever Great Nation you see fit."

Hiashi said nothing, his cold stare battling the aged man's. If he was in a lesser mood, he might find that threat quite insulting. "Very well. I will leave him be."

* * *

**Later That Night**

Hinata sat in bed with a lamplight on as she read a book. She was given a lot of books today; it made her wonder if she was considered bedridden.

It was a relief to finally be by herself. Servants and nurses had been in and out to give her vitamins and made sure she ate properly. She didn't particularly like being woken up from her various naps just to eat and take pills (she'd vomit more often than not), but now she couldn't even sleep. For some reason, she had laughed about it when she realized she was wide awake, and now she was unusually attentive to a story about adventure and destiny.

There was a knock at her door, causing her emotions to deflate. She had already eaten dinner, so she was going to have to suffer through more pills.

_For the baby._

She shook her body, focusing on the words in front of her. "Come in."

The door didn't move, and she heard no one. She looked at it, prepared to call out, when it began to slide open. She turned her head, gripping her book tightly.

"Nii-san," she whispered, her stomach knotting. "Um... Y-you shouldn't... I thought you left hours ago."

Neji didn't move or give any indication that he was going to say anything. At this, she felt her eyes water. She was used to Neji's behavior towards her, but he could potentially make her whole situation worse. He always told her she was wasting her time as a ninja, so what would he say if and when he finds out she no longer was one? What would he do once he found out she had gotten pregnant?

Tell her he told her so?

List all the reasons why it was her fault this happened?

Openly express how _glad _he was this happened at all?

She couldn't deal with that for months on end... She couldn't _deal_ with Neji during this whole ordeal.

"Hinata," Neji said, walking toward her rather slowly, "I...know."

She looked at him, confused, but was startled by the bruises on his face. "O-oh..." She reached for the ointment in her bedside drawer. "I have-"

Neji stopped her, singed hands a sickly color, prompting her to look at him. His face was unusually hesitant—scared even. "You're pregnant."

Hinata retracted her hand, pulling away from him in every way possible. "What are you talking about?"

"I know Sasuke did this-"

"No," she groaned, low and drawn out, her world shattering. "Not you... Not _you_."

"Hinata-"

"Stop!" she choked out, refusing to cry in front of him. "Don't... Please don't say anything to me. I-I'm finally calm now, so _please_ don't tell me-"

"Hinata, I-"

"Neji, _don't-!"_

"Let me help you!"

The heiress' throat tightened, confusion lacing her eyes. Neji's fierce glare was on her, but his eyes appeared glassy. Tears? Was he...crying?

He sighed shakily, shaking his head. "You must have a pretty—awful—view of me if you think I'd still... After knowing what... You must... You..." He laughed, his face immediately morphing into hate, and yanked his hair. "You must really despise me... For Sasuke to force himself on you, and you not tell me about it... For you to not tell _anyone _in the family about it..." He looked at her. "Why wouldn't you..."

Hinata stared at him, eyes wide with confusion and apprehension, and it sent his already chaotic emotions into tortured mayhem. She had no clue what he was talking about. _Of course_ she had no clue. He's trying to ask her why she didn't come to him, but why should she come to him for anything? Why was he trying to blame her for not turning to him when he never encouraged it? What made him think that he would have even cared—that he would have done _anything_ if the situation hadn't turned out like this?

It infuriated him that she... That she couldn't... That she _didn't..._

Neji yelled, frustrated, falling to his knees, face pressed firmly into the bed. Hinata was immediately asking questions, her shaky voice trying to comfort him, and it made his anger grow, the tears falling as his yells continued.

Even in a situation like this, she couldn't turn to him, and he hated himself for it.

* * *

Sasuke awoke, still in the hospital, and his mouth ached terribly. The Hokage had left hours ago with promises of buying groceries tomorrow, and that had been enough to ease him.

But, again, that had been hours ago.

He could taste blood still, and the bitter metal aftertaste made his throat hurt. His pain medicine had worn off, but he tried sleeping through it just so he wouldn't have to call a nurse. He lied in bed, waiting for the pain to subside, but it throbbed, making his mouth feel uncomfortable and warm. He exhaled, hoping to relieve the pressure, but the air stung. He brought a hand to his cheek only to find that it was swollen and sensitive. His breathing picked up, one arm going over his eyes, and he tried not to heave, eyes welling.

This wasn't fair.

He couldn't get a _break_.

He was tired of life. He was tired of not having family—of having people in his life that could trick him into believing he _did_ had one—of people looking at him like he was more than he was—of being treated like he could handle the weight of the world just because his last name was _Uchiha. _He couldn't _do_ this anymore, but no one was here to relieve him of it all.

Sasuke exhaled, ignoring the wetness, and turned to his side. He came into contact with something hard keeping him from freely moving about the bed, and it only added to his distress. He was overcome with anger, the madness consuming him, and he rammed his hand down on it forcefully.

"Wha-?!" Naruto shot up, his head appearing at the other end of the bed. He looked around the room, his eyes lidded, mumbling to himself.

Sasuke stared at him, trying to process what he was seeing.

"No, I got it," Naruto slurred. He got out of bed hands first, and stood, stumbling towards the table at Sasuke's side. "S'okay, I got it." He picked up a bottle and struggled to open it. Sasuke watched the boy's rushed, sloppy movements, and occasionally focused on the foggy way his face was set. When Naruto finally got the bottle open, he poured pills into his hand and struggled to put away the excess, some of which fell to the floor. He set the bottle down, lidless, and picked up a glass of water. "Here, eat 'em." He shoved the pills in Sasuke's mouth with his palm, then, with no hesitance, brought the glass to Sasuke's mouth, to which water fell both in his mouth and all over the pillow.

Sasuke struggled, taking the glass away and sitting up. He swallowed the pills and water instinctively, cringing as the liquid came into contact with his gums.

Naruto mumbled again, crawling into bed and over to Sasuke's other side. "Right, okay." And Naruto fell back to sleep.

Sasuke stared at him.

And stared.

And stared.

He frowned, not able to logically explain...

"Why is it always you?"

When his medicine kicked in, he set the cup down, flipped his pillow over, and went to sleep.


	7. Chapter 7

**I usually update this and one other at the same time, but fics haven't been a big thing lately. And I don't remember many big concerns from last chapter, but... Naruto likes Sasuke just as much as he does canon-wise. Team 7 knew about Neji due to events before chapter one. They knew OF him. That's my logic, anyway.**

**Nice to see you, again.**

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**Two Weeks Later**

He didn't think of the Hyuuga.

Even when he thought of things that_ would_ involve her, he wasn't thinking of _her_. When he thought about that day, he tried to think of their attackers. The faces of those men became clouded more and more, but that's because he hadn't focused on them to begin with. Maybe he should have, but he had been distracted by escape plans, his stamina, her screams...

Not her. Just her screams.

When he thought about Neji, there wasn't room for her.

Thinking of Neji was odd because he had a lot of resentment towards him, but he also thought maybe—just maybe—he would be someone he aimed to surpass. He hadn't known much about the older boy, and he somehow never linked him to the Hyuugas despite obvious facts. He was curious about what would happen when (or if) their paths crossed again.

And he thought of the...

**It**.

He had to think of it as **it** because he could no longer understand it as what it was. He couldn't fully come to terms with what **it** would make _him_, but Sasuke thought about it constantly. He thought about what it would be and how it would look, but it was difficult to think of it as his. He couldn't imagine holding it and recognizing it as his child, and, really, he couldn't see further than it being born. He couldn't see it growing up or becoming a shinobi or _living_ around the village. Whether or not it was raised with the Hyuugas or in an orphanage, he had a hard time believing there would be something out there with his his blood and his features that would be _his_ child.

And he could think of all these things without dragging Hinata into it because...there was already so much he _couldn_'t imagine. He didn't have to imagine anything about Hinata—that day, her pain, her fear, her burdens—because those were _real_, and the moment he started facing reality would be the moment things changed.

Things didn't have to change.

Not if he didn't want them to.

Sasuke exhaled, clearing his mind.

He hadn't felt normal in a while, though. It wasn't hard to figure out why, but he wanted a new definition of normal.

Training didn't give him that sense of purpose it used to, and his usual life goals were more of an obligation rather than something keeping him motivated. Maybe he suffered through one too many traumatic experiences—he honestly didn't know—but the more he went along with this, the more he could feel himself slipping.

"Sasuke."

The Uchiha stopped his spinning in the chair and turned to the Hokage. His time with the village leader was becoming frequent as the days passed without him realizing. He came here upon the man's request after the incident with Neji so he could be asked questions about his day or what he was feeling. He suspected this was something like therapy, but he was never asked anything intrusive or uncomfortable, and he never cared to think too deeply about it.

"You've been here all afternoon," the man said. "You may leave if you like."

"I know," Sasuke muttered.

Hiruzen looked at him for a moment before setting his things aside. "Is something bothering you?"

"No," Sasuke said, swiveling the chair back and forth.

"You seem restless." He laughed. "Is your training not tiring you enough?"

"It's the same old stuff with Naruto and Sakura, and Kakashi's training is just pointless."

Hiruzen nodded. He knew about Kakashi's special training, and he knew Sasuke wasn't doing very well with it. "Are you afraid of the forest, Sasuke?"

"_No_. I just don't see the point."

"It is to my understanding you become a bit paranoid with Kakashi's training."

"I am _not_ paranoid, and him leaving me in the middle of the forest is _not_ training. It's stupid." He began spinning again. "I hate it."

"Perhaps you could use a partner."

Sasuke didn't answer or halt his motions.

"I'm sure Naruto will be willing."

At this, the Uchiha stopped, looking at him pointedly. "Why him?"

"He calms you."

"No, he doesn't. He never leaves me alone."

"Hm. My apologies. I suppose he doesn't have to-"

"He doesn't calm me," Sasuke said again, looking out the window. "That's all I said."

"Well," the man smiled, "it is decided. Why don't you go find him and tell him training starts bright and early."

Sasuke looked to the side, his mouth twitching as he tried to form his words. "He's not the one who needs this."

"No, but a friend can help you."

"That's not it." He paused, frowning at the ceiling briefly. "If I... The Hyuuga should..."

Hiruzen's eyebrows rose as he realized what Sasuke was asking. He opened his mouth, prepared to say something.

"Never mind." Sasuke hopped off the chair, pocketing his hands, and walked towards the door. "I'll tell him."

"Is there anything you need to ask me?"

"No."

"You don't want to talk about Hinata?"

He paused near the door. For a long moment, Sasuke didn't say anything despite being clearly agitated. "I..." He shook his head. "No."

Hiruzen remained silent as he left.

* * *

He had to focus on finding Naruto.

The blond was hard to find when he actually needed to be found, and Sasuke didn't want to spend all day looking. He checked in the usual spots—Ichiraku, his apartment, near Sakura's house—and saw no signs of him. He then checked near the Academy, around the Hokage Tower, and the Hot Springs. With no luck, he determined Naruto was out training—hopefully in the Training Grounds.

As he was on his way, Sasuke passed by Shino and Kiba with their respective parent. They didn't see him, but he wondered if anything would have happened if they did; he wondered how they would react if they knew the truth. He wondered what Team 8 had been like before all this, and he wondered if he thought an incomplete team looked odd.

He had no clue.

When he reached the Training Grounds, he was annoyed Naruto wasn't in plain sight. He walked forward, not hearing much of anything. His movements stopped, and he looked around for a few short moments. This probably wasn't worth it. Naruto was sure to pop up eventually, so it wasn't in his best interests to go looking for him.

Still, Sasuke stood as he was.

Looking around more, he noted it was oddly quiet. It was still light out, birds were flying in the distance, but it was...quiet.

No one was around...

Sasuke's hands became sweaty, ears ringing, breathing haphazard. He was in open space, but trees were surrounding him, closing in on him, making his world spin. He closed his eyes, taking two open mouth deep breaths, and stepped back.

Then there was yelling.

His body lurched forward, sending him running, and he wasn't sure why. Things were getting darker, he was running faster, and then he was more engulfed by trees. He ran faster still, wanting to get out, feeling someone on his heels, feeling a figure quickly approaching him.

Out.

He needed _out_.

And then he emerged into open space.

"Man!"

Sasuke jerked to a stop, realizing he was breathing heavily, and his vision adjusted to the scene before him. Naruto was jacketless and shirtless, faced away from him, and water was dripping from his body. Sasuke looked around, expecting to see a fleeing body, but there was no one else there. He turned around, fearing a body was waiting, but no one was there either. He swallowed hard, letting his breath even out on its own.

"Eh? EH?!" Naruto spun around, covering himself with his arms. "What are you doing here?! And why the heck're you breathing like that?!"

Sasuke blinked multiple times, heart pounding. When he realized what he had done, he fell into a squat, falling farther on his back. "Idiot," he muttered. "Such...an idiot." He took a few seconds to catch his breath before sitting up again. "What are you doing?"

Naruto walked towards him while putting on his jacket. "What's it look like I'm doing? _I'm_ not too good for training."

"Training by yourself?"

"Yeah. Don't you?" Naruto squatted in front of him, frowning. "Were you lookin' for me or somethin'?"

"Yeah."

"Huh? Really?" He halted his excitement, becoming skeptical. "For what?"

"You're training with me tomorrow morning."

Naruto's eyebrows rose. "I am?"

"With Kakashi."

"Ka...?" He jumped to his feet, arms raised halfway and hands balled. "Really?"

"The Hokage made me ask."

For a solid minute, Naruto's eyes sparkled despite his expression being blank. He snapped out of it, falling into a squat again and crossing his arms. "Well, I can't say I'm surprised. Someone's gotta show you how it's done, and who better than _me_, huh?"

Sasuke grimaced. Sometimes Naruto made it hard to be grateful for him.

"Is Sakura training with us?"

"No."

"Whaaaaat? If we're all gonna be there, then she should be there, too!"

"She's not coming. It's bad enough you are."

"Wha...? Hey! You came all this way to ask _me,_ remember?!"

"And I said the Hokage made me ask."

Naruto scowled. "Yet you were in such a hurry you ran."

Sasuke felt his cheeks get hot, sporting a vicious scowl of his own. He stood pocketing his hands. "Then don't come."

Naruto continued to frown at him, but he hoped Sasuke wasn't taking his invitation back. Special training with Kakashi actually sounded exciting. He eyed Sasuke, noticing he wasn't moving. He was still turned away from him, still giving an air of wanting to leave, but he didn't move.

"Are you leavin' or what?" the blond finally asked.

"I am," he said curtly but still didn't move.

Naruto shrugged. He resumed his training as Sasuke sat facing the forest.

Naruto didn't say any more about it because he liked the company.

* * *

"I can't believe I actually wound up at a place like this."

"It is for our children."

"Oh, I know who it's for, and I'm saying I can't believe I let that drag me here."

"It's a long overdue introduction. It is a shame it took us so long to get to this point."

"Yeah. Shame."

Tsume Inuzuka and Shibi Aburame sat in a pale, tatami floored room with their respective child. Tsume had witnessed Kiba's sullen and irritable nature when the whole team issue started. Shibi's insects had picked up on the subtle vibrations of his child's colony and had asked him about his dejected state—to which he learned the predicament as well. Both parents had thought it odd Hinata Hyuuga was being pulled from the team, and it was even more puzzling when Kurenai had visited them a week ago to inform them of the now two-man team.

So, after Kiba had begged and Shino had hinted, Tsume and Shibi found themselves seated in the Hyuuga compound awaiting to see Hiashi Hyuuga. After a few minutes of waiting, the Hyuuga head finally entered the room, sitting at an inhospitable distance and conveying his displeasure.

"What a pleasure," Hiashi said blandly, shifting his eyes over his unwelcome guests. "To what do I owe this _gathering_ of Inuzukas and Aburames?"

"Hyuuga-san," Shibi greeted. "I am Shibi Aburame—Shino's father."

"And I'm Tsume—the mother of this tyke here," said the pack leader, ruffling Kiba's head.

"Hm, yes," Hiashi droned. "I believe I saw each of you at some point or other. Our children were once a team, if I recall."

"Yes," Tsume said. "Though I don't know how much recollection a week would need."

"Hyuuga-san," Shibi intervened, "we are all aware of the changes made to the former Team 8."

He nodded once. "Have you come seeking answers?"

"No," Tsume said. "Turns out your daughter managed to mean something to these two, and they begged us to bring them here to see her."

"You brought your sons all the way to my compound to see my daughter? Forgive me if I do not show joy with the scenario you have presented."

"With all due respect," Shibi said, "it is to my knowledge Hinata has not been spotted in the village for nearly a month. Unless your family is undergoing circumstances we know nothing about, we only ask that the children be allowed to stay in contact, considering the mysterious withdrawal of your daughter's duties."

"I do so very _appreciate_ the logic you have incorporated in your argument, but it is best if our children cut off all ties with one another. My daughter will spend the bulk of her time within these walls, and, yes, due to circumstances you know nothing about, I refuse to have her yearning for a life she is no longer part of."

Tsume snorted. "Her not being a ninja anymore doesn't mean she can't be seen in the village, let alone have _friends_."

"This is clearly a difference in morals and parental care. I do not intend to change my mind." Hiashi paused, eyeing the genin at their parent's side. The Aburame child was as straight-backed and motionless as his father, but Hiashi did not particularly like the concealed attire custom of their clan. As for the Inuzuka boy, Hiashi was well aware he had made some distasteful face or other at nearly everything he said; though, looking at his mother, it wasn't a huge puzzlement as to where the disrespect came from.

They made his daughter's retirement hard to mourn.

"However," Hiashi said, "I will allow them time to say their goodbyes, but they will be the only ones to see her. You—Shibi and Tsume, correct?—shall stay here until they return."

"Well, that's a suspicious statement, if I ever heard one," Tsume said, one brow raised. "Now you make me want to tag along."

"If you want your son to see my daughter, then you will not. I'll have a servant escort them."

* * *

Neji Hyuuga was thirteen years old.

He thought about that a lot lately.

He was thirteen years old, and he thought things were happening far sooner than expected with elements he would have never cared to add. For example, he never thought his hatred for his cousin would dissipate until after his uncle could no longer deny he was a better option as the Hyuuga heir. He imagined after his uncle offered him the position, and after he honorably and scornfully rejected it, leaving the family with the crippling realization they were being led by a runner up—whoever it may be—things would begin to dwindle.

He saw his anger towards his cousin morphing into that of smug pity.

Then, he saw himself branching off to make his own Hyuuga legacy that would outshine the current one. It would put his family and their hindered paths of achievement to shame, and he would be the founder of a new Hyuuga Era.

However, maybe most of his dreams were unattainable simply because of the seal on his forehead.

Now, they were dashed completely because he was part of something he most certainly never had plans for. Oddly enough, he thought the largest turn around was the fact he didn't hate or pity his cousin. He wasn't sure if he genuinely loved or liked her in any familial form, but he couldn't leave her alone. Meaning, the thought of Hinata being by herself was now a thought that bothered him.

So, he didn't let her be alone.

Ever since his breakdown in her room, Neji acted like the obedient servant he never wanted to be. He was with her when it was time to take her medicine, and he practically forced her to eat. He was there when she was vomiting and sleeping too much. He was also there when he realized Hinata's wariness of him was not merely from him hanging around her. Hinata, he reminded himself, was traumatized, and she was seeing her attackers in the males in her life. When Neji realized this, he wanted to lash out at her. He didn't want to be put on the same level as perverted, defective ninjas, but he learned to adjust to at least get her calm around him.

He started by wearing his hair in a higher ponytail, which led to Hinata starting conversations of her own accord and looking him in the eye. Then he started wearing lighter clothing and nothing too baggy, which led his cousin to slowly drop her guard and allow herself to smile at him. This would have eased him if he didn't think about _why_ his former characteristics might have alarmed her, but he had other issues to fret over.

Hinata found out about what happened between him and **him**, and he's never seen her as hysteric and filled with blame as she was then. So, they never talked about **him** or what **he** did to her (and what Neji did to him as a result of it all), and now they were...

Well, _Neji_ was managing.

He didn't like the throw up, her sleep spells, her random bouts of energy, or how the thing inside of her was undoubtedly growing, but he was managing. Hinata hadn't cried much, so he was...just surprised by how things were turning out for them.

"Nii-san."

Neji stopped in the doorway leading to the courtyard, holding a water bottle. Hinata was seated, wearing a white kimono, and was faced away from him.

"Are you about to throw up?" he asked.

"No... I don't think so." She turned to him, smiling tiredly. "I feel okay right now."

"Ah." He walked next to her, taking a seat and handing her the bottle. "That's good to know. You were very irritable earlier."

"I'm sorry." She eyed the water bottle before setting it aside. "Do you think my father will let me walk around the village?" She paused. "With an escort, of course."

"No," he said frankly, immediately realizing that. "That is to say, you can walk around the entire estate."

She frowned at her lap, pouting by the slightest degree. "I'm tired of seeing the same faces. I mean..." She sighed, a slight groan, and looked at him. "I feel like everyone knows, so it'd be nice to be around people who wouldn't make me...paranoid."

"Everyone makes you paranoid, I thought."

She stared at him, face twitching in a conflicting battle of wanting to smile and wanting to be offended. She never really knew how to feel about most of the things he said. "You're right... I just wanted to...mm..."

Neji stared at her, wondering why she had fallen silent. She was staring at her twiddling thumbs and her mood had plummeted greatly. The two of them were never much of talkers, but maybe she had gotten used to being around people who talked more than she did.

"I'll walk around the courtyard with you."

Hinata looked at him, her mood not lifting. "You don't have to."

"I know." He sighed, getting up and extending his hands out to her. "You want to, though."

* * *

She wanted very much to refuse him. Neji's kindness to her was extremely transparent, and it was nothing more than pity in her eyes. The fact that he, the boy who hated her more than anyone, had changed his ways once realizing her predicament showed just how pitiful he must see her situation. She didn't want to be pitied, but Neji was the only one whom she could talk to.

She forced a smile, taking his hands even though she could get up just fine on her own. "Thanks, nii-san."

But she was tired.

She was always tired, but she linked it more to being home and inactive all the time. It was the same thing every day with little to no variation, and she would surely lose her mind if she had to stay here for seven more months. Even then, she didn't want to think about how much longer she would be here after _this_ was over.

And she wasn't sure how much more of Neji she could take if he continued to hover around her. Sometimes she could pretend he wasn't there, but, if he moved, she became oddly irritated. If he tried to help her in some way, she was strongly tempted to tell him to leave her alone. Any other instance was fine by her, but, all in all, she liked having her cousin around.

But if he had a mission soon, that would be okay.

"Can I ask you a question?" Hinata asked as they made their rounds.

"What is it?"

"_Does_ everyone...know? In the family?"

"About you?" Neji thought for a moment. "The Branch family and the medical team knows."

"Does...Kō know? Because...he hasn't been to see me in a while."

"Kō has...not been in the best of moods, Hinata-sama."

"Is he mad at me?"

"No. He wishes to see you, but he is upset with himself for not being able to protect you." He raised a hand, stopping Hinata from objecting. "It may be irrational, but there is nothing we can do to console him. I'm sure he will see you soon."

Hinata didn't speak until they were able to sit down again. For the next five minutes, Neji asked her if she needed anything, and she assured him she didn't. Acquiescing, he sat next to her.

"Neji," Hinata said, wringing her hands together, "does Hanabi know?"

"I don't think so."

"Do you think I... Do you think I should tell her?"

"Hinata-sama, she is young. There are too many elements to your situation she does not need to be involved in." He paused, wondering if he was saying anything helpful. "I am sure when there is no other way to hide your—situation—then someone will tell her what she needs to know."

"I don't know what she will think... If I tell her the truth, I'm... I'm afraid she'll be afraid to continue as a ninja...but I also want her to be a-aware of what's out there. If this ever happened to her, I know I'd... _I'd_-"

Neji placed a hand on her shoulder, slightly surprised by the anger on the verge of erupting. "This won't-"

The door behind them opened. They turned, seeing a Hyuuga servant standing in the doorway.

Hinata grimaced by the smallest degree. "Is it time for my medicine?"

"No, my lady," the female servant said, bowing slightly. "You have guests."

Hinata stood, wondering if there was some mistake, but froze when the servant stepped aside. "O-oh... Kiba, Shino... Hi."

Kiba and Shino were ready to make some response, but, upon seeing Neji, they halted all words. They exchanged glances before looking at her again.

"Hinata," Shino greeted. "It has been a while."

"It has, yes." She took a deep breath, briefly looking at Neji. "Um... U-um, what are...you both doing h-here?"

"We came to see you," Kiba grinned, walking towards her. "We wanted-" Hinata took a step back, confusing her former teammates. "What's wrong?"

She wrung her hands forcefully. "S-Sorry... It's just... Can you- Th-the jackets... Your jackets."

"Our jackets?" Kiba looked back at Shino curiously. "What about our jackets?"

She dropped her hands, trying to pull them to her sides but clutched them to her chest. "I'm sorry... I'm sorry, it's noth-"

"Remove them."

Everyone looked at Neji. He had a hand extended to each boy.

"It is customary to remove all coats when entering the Hyuuga compound," he explained dispassionately. "Show our family some respect."

Kiba scowled at him. "But we're outsi-"

"Of course," Shino said, removing his jacket. "We will oblige, _Kiba_."

Kiba stared at both of them incredulously. He looked down, Akamaru's head poking out his coat. "Are we seriously doing this?"

Akamaru barked, jumping out and running towards Hinata.

"Really?" He shook his head, reluctantly taking his jacket off. "Fine, I guess we are."

After Neji had their jackets in tow, he bowed, leaving to stand behind the door with the other servant. When the door was closed, Hinata wet her lips, looking at her friends.

"I'm sorry." She wrung her hands again, unable to look at them. "I, um... I hope I didn't o-offend you."

"It's fine, Hinata, geez." Kiba grinned, walking towards her again. "Man, it's been so long. Almost felt like we weren't friends anymore."

She stared at Akamaru for a few seconds, who was affectionately rubbing his head against her. Hinata peeked at Kiba. "Did it?"

"Well, kinda. Things were weird for a while, and then you left. Kurenai-sensei didn't even make a whole lota sense about it." Kiba rubbed the back of his head. "So, what's been up with you? You're taking medicine and stuff, so what happened? Are you sick?" He paused, looking skyward briefly. "Why are you...ya know, gone?"

"I...I don't want to talk about it." She paused, looking at them. "That is... It's not something I can explain."

"Well, how come we never see you around anymore?"

"A lot is...going on with me." She bit her inner lip, looking between both boys. "You both really came here to see me?"

"Of course," Shino said, joining them. "It's—different—without you."

She smiled sheepishly, rubbing her arms. "It is different... I've been lonely." She bit her tongue, afraid Neji heard that. "Um, did sensei come with you?"

"Sorry," Kiba said. "Came with our parents, but the Hokage has kept sensei real busy when she's not training with us."

"Oh... I'd really like to see her again." She bit her lip. "And...maybe I'll get to m-meet your new teammate...someday."

Kiba tried to laugh but couldn't make it authentic. "We're not getting a new teammate."

"It'll just be the two of us," Shino said.

Kiba scowled, pointing at Akamaru. "Three of us."

"Hm." Shino patted his own chest. "A lot of us, then."

Hinata laughed, wiping her eyes. "I see." She wondered if it was okay to feel happy.

Silence fell upon them. They were all confused, and, for the most part, it was because of things they couldn't talk about or things the adults _wouldn't_ talk about. In this sense, they didn't know why they had to be confused, and their confusion made this reunion hard to enjoy.

"So..." Kiba started, "your dad says we have to say goodbye to you." He looked at Shino for a moment. "But...why?"

"I...don't know what to say."

* * *

Kiba and Shino joined their parents outside the compound fifteen minutes later. Their time together was too short and considerably more awkward compared to when they first met, but they felt a little better about where they all stood. Hinata was still their friend, and they still had bonds, so, there wasn't too much to worry about.

Plus, she said she'd see them again on their upcoming special day.

"How was it?" Tsume asked her son as they all began walking.

Kiba wrinkled his nose. "She's hanging out with her cousin for some reason. I think they're trying to make her miserable."

Tsume scoffed. "Wouldn't put it past 'em. Hope a girl like her will be alright."

"I think she's sick. Before we saw her, she asked her servant if it was time for her medicine." He looked up at his mother. "If she had to quit because of some illness, then it's weird we never noticed before."

"Wish I could tell ya what's going on, but her father didn't give anything away."

"They have their reasons," Shibi said. "Knowing the Hyuuga way, it must be critical to their status. Perhaps Hinata will focus on inheriting her clan and will be taught by Hyuuga members only."

"Seems unlikely," Shino said. "She told us her father was giving that title to her younger sister." He reached for his shoulder and plucked off an insect. "I believe this is yours, father."

Shibi took the insect from him. "You noticed it?"

"It seemed very interested in Hinata, and I did not instruct anyone from my colony. It could only be yours."

Tsume cringed. "You sent one of your insects as a spy? What, you suspect foul play in her clan?"

"I just wanted to get a feel of her current condition," Shibi responded.

Akamaru grumbled to Kiba.

"Oh, yeah." He looked at his mother again. "Hinata smells different."

She frowned at him. "Different? Like she really is sick?"

He shook his head. "Don't know how to explain it. She just...smells different."

* * *

**Evening**

Naruto walked out of the water, soaked from head to toe. He rubbed his eyes and set his sights on Sasuke, who was lying on his jacket and had been watching him train all day.

"You could have joined," Naruto said, slightly exhausted.

Sasuke shrugged.

"You're kinda freakin' me out." He walked over and yanked his jacket from under him before picking up his shirt. "You're not usually around me this much—willingly."

Sasuke huffed before rolling into a sit. "Would you want a kid with Sakura?"

Naruto went wide eyed. "A kid?" A blush immediately took over his cheeks. "W-with Sakura-chan? C-c'mon, what kinda question is that? I mean, heck, that's still a long ways off—thinkin' about stuff like that—so what the heck are you talkin' about?"

Sasuke ran a hand through his hair. Somehow, Naruto's reaction didn't make him feel any better. He acted normally. Of course he wouldn't have children on his mind.

He stood. "Forget it. Are you leaving?"

"Hey, hold on! What's this about Sakura and children? Don't go gettin' any weird ideas, got it?!"

"I'll try," Sasuke muttered, walking on.

Naruto followed him, pulling his clothes on, frantic. "What? What? Don't tell me _you're _thinking about that kinda stuff."

"I'm not."

"So you just _randomly_ think about Sakura and children at the same time?"

"I guess."

Naruto shrieked. "You guess?! Whaddya mean you guess? It's not like you two could have kids right now anyway."

Sasuke's skin prickled and he shot the blond a glare, causing him to shudder. "Stop talking."

"G-Geez! It's the truth, isn't it?!"

"I'm not trying to have kids with Sakura."

"Yeah? Then who are you trying to have kids with?"

Sasuke didn't intend to answer that. He wished he never asked him anything to begin with. After a few steps, Sasuke noticed Naruto wasn't next to him anymore. He stopped, looking behind him, to see Naruto standing a few paces back. He was frozen, staring at him with bewildered eyes and a serious yet confused expression. He looked rather pale.

Naruto stared at him for a few more seconds before saying, "Sasuke, you know we can't have kids, right?"

Now Sasuke was the bewildered one. "What?"

"I mean, not just because we're young." Naruto scratched his head, frowning further. "We're boys, so we really can't-"

Sasuke groaned loudly. He thought Naruto was on to something, but he just took his earlier silence very, very wrong. "Not you either, moron."

Color came back to the blond's face, and he walked toward his friend. "I don't get it, but... Well, I mean, there's a lot of girls you can have kids with when you're older."

"Mm." Sasuke turned, walking again.

Naruto followed. "Yeah, ya know? It could be someone outside the village or someone who isn't even a ninja or-"

"Hinata."

Naruto laughed. "Yeah, right."

Sasuke looked at him sideways.

"You and Hinata would be kind of weird, doncha think?" He paused, thinking. "I don't know much about her, but I..." He laughed, a bit confused. "It's just weird."

Weird...

It _was_ kind of weird, Sasuke thought. So weird that even Naruto couldn't see it in a serious light. Maybe Naruto was thinking about it in a practical sense, though. Sasuke merely meant having a child with someone. He didn't mean having feelings for a person, getting married, and then having a child when he was ready.

Life wasn't always like that.

"Kids, huh?" Naruto said, mostly to himself. "Wonder how that works..."

Sasuke looked at him, frowning. "You know how it works, right?"

"Eh? What?"

"Kids. You know how they get here, right?"

Naruto stared for a while, face unreadable, before he blinked. "Yeah, of course."

"Do you?"

"Yeah."

"_Do you_?"

"...Yeah... Yeah? Yeah! Of course, I do."

Sasuke wasn't convinced.

* * *

The Third Hokage was in his office as evening turned to night. The Chunin Exams would start in a few weeks, and things were going as scheduled. All teams were registered and accounted for, and he thought things would be interesting this year.

Yuuhi's team, especially, interested him. He thought for sure they'd take a year off, but Kiba and Shino were going to continue on as they were. It wouldn't be a huge strain for them. When taking in consideration Shino's colony and Kiba's faithful canine, losing a teammate was not a major hindrance. In fact, losing a teammate may even increase their reliance on one another and build an even stronger team. When they master basic medical skills, they could very well be one of the most powerful shinobi.

If not a little dangerous.

Hiruzen chuckled to himself. He shouldn't think too far ahead about the future. A lot could happen.

The door to his office opened, a guard walking in. "Sir, Sasuke Uchiha is here."

"Ah, is he?" He leaned back in his chair. "Allow him in."

Sasuke walked in and the doors closed behind him.

"Nice to see you again," the man said. "Did your time with Naruto go well?"

Sasuke grunted, taking a seat.

"Is something wrong?"

"Naruto doesn't know how kids are made."

Hiruzen's lips parted, brows furrowing. "Ah... I'm sure he understands it in his own way, but..." He sat up straighter, leaning forward. "Sasuke, why were you two talking about where babies come from?"

The Uchiha shrugged. "It just came up."

"Just came up? How?"

He shrugged again. "I don't know. It just did."

"Who brought it up?"

Sasuke hesitated. "I did."

"Do you often talk about where babies come from?"

"No."

"What made you talk about it with Naruto?"

"I don't know."

"Do you feel comfortable talking about it with him?"

"No-" The Uchiha began to shift, uncomfortable. "I don't know."

"Do you think about these things a lot?"

"Y- No. I don't. I don't think I should know how."

"You don't think you should know how to what?"

"How to-" Sasuke huffed, shaking his head. His breathing was becoming erratic again, and it was frustrating him. "Everyone knows what it's called. Maybe they understand the basics, but if you ask them to do it, they probably couldn't. But I could. I don't think I should."

Hiruzen hesitated. "You mean...how to make babies?"

Sasuke didn't say anything, an uncomfortable frown on his features, but nodded by the smallest degree.

"Sasuke... Have you told anyone about your situation?"

He rolled his eyes. "There's no point. They wouldn't understand. Only Hinata gets it, but even she didn't want to talk about it."

"Do you think about Hinata often?"

"No."

"You don't?"

"_No_."

"But you think about babies?"

"Yeah." He paused. "I guess."

"Then do you think about..." Hiruzen cleared his throat. Now he was becoming uncomfortable. "That is, do you think about..._Hinata's_ situation."

Sasuke laughed, slightly bitter. "The baby." He laughed again, but he was becoming panicked, jittery. "You want me to call it mine? You want me to think of it as _our_ situation?"

"That's not what I meant."

"But that's how it is. That's _what_ it is." He shook his head, biting his lip. "Yeah, I think about it. I don't know how to feel about it, but..." He paused again, sighing heavily. "Where is she?"

"She?"

Sasuke fidgeted in his seat, highly agitated, and nearly slurred, "Hinata."

That surprised the Sarutobi. "She is...home. Her family is looking after her."

"She never leaves?"

"I cannot say for certain, but I am sure her father merely wants to keep her safe. Since she cannot train anymore, it's best for her to take it easy."

"How long can't she train?"

Hiruzen paused, regretting his wording. He scratched his head before sighing. "She won't be training anymore. She is no longer a ninja."

Sasuke said nothing. He didn't understand.

"You see, Sasuke," the man went on, "Hinata will need a lot of recovery time after her... That is, after the baby is born, she won't be able to join a new team in time. Plus, she will have a child, so a lot will be weighing on her. It's best if she dedicates her life to something less strenuous on her mind and body."

It wasn't making sense to him. Because she'll have a child, she couldn't be a ninja? She wasn't a ninja because of something that wasn't even here yet? So...why was he still a ninja? Why was he being told to train more? Hinata was going to have a child, but...so was he.

He was, too.

He was going to have a child, _too_.

"I want to see her," Sasuke said, voice uneven.

Hiruzen became rigid. "You want to see Hinata? I don't think...there is time in your schedule to see her. Besides-"

Sasuke shook his head, uncertain but stubborn. "I have time."


	8. Chapter 8

**Had to make cuts. On another note, instant ramen with mayo and ketchup...isn't that bad. Hope your Holidays have been going well.**

**Enjoy!  
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The Uchiha lied in bed, staring at the ceiling with a troubled frown etched on his face. He wasn't feeling nearly as disturbed as he would like to believe; it was more confusion than anything.

Naruto was an odd one. Very odd.

Sasuke always thought he could figure the blond out and come up with good reasons why Naruto did and said the things he did, but Naruto's actions didn't always back up the things he said. Sasuke wasn't at an age where he realized people used defense mechanisms in ways far different than how he himself used them, so he wondered just what it was about the Uzumaki that made him so...overbearing.

And comforting.

And annoying.

Sasuke stretched before quietly getting out of bed and walking towards his window. He opened it slowly, climbed outside, and stealthily walked down the hall. When he reached the corner, he exhaled slowly, without a sound, and got close to the wall before peeking around it.

Naruto Uzumaki was slumped against the Uchiha's door, and Sasuke could hear his snores from here.

Sasuke's brows scrunched, his confusion and slight delirium heightening, and he honestly didn't know what to do. He thought he sensed the blond's presence when he woke up, but he pushed the feeling down because his rational side told him Naruto wouldn't come to his apartment so early in the morning. If anything, Sasuke was convinced he'd have to go wake up the blond in his own apartment, but he wasn't exactly sure where that was. He probably wouldn't have gotten him.

But there he was—sleeping against his door and already dressed—and there was still forty-five minutes to spare before they had to meet with Kakashi for the early morning training. Perhaps Naruto simply didn't know where the training was going to be held (and he shouldn't, because Sasuke failed to mention where), but did that mean Naruto had to get to _his_ apartment so early?

Maybe the blond knew he'd get left behind if he didn't.

Maybe he was as stubborn as Sasuke.

Sasuke frowned deeper before shaking his head. Despite his rationalizations, he didn't know if Naruto was beginning to frighten him or if he himself was actually becoming eager to see what new way the Uzumaki could baffle him. Either way, his heart was thumping slightly faster, and he didn't know if he should let Naruto out of his sight. Then again, the more Sasuke stared at him, the more he felt like doing something drastic just to see what it would make Naruto do.

He quietly walked back to his window and climbed inside, shutting and locking it behind him. He went on to get ready for the day—all the while making as little noise as possible. When he was dressed, he walked to his kitchen and opened the refrigerator. It was completely stocked with food and drinks now, and he took a moment deciding what he should get. After a while of scanning the contents over and over, he grabbed an apple for himself, and then another.

Then he put one back.

Then he grabbed a bottle of water.

And put it back.

He frowned, shutting the refrigerator, and walked towards his front door. He reached for the doorknob, froze, and stormed back to the refrigerator to snatch another apple. He headed back to his bedroom where he undid the locks to his window, opened it, and climbed out again. He closed it before walking down the hall and rounding the corner to a sleeping Naruto. Sasuke stopped a few feet from him, staring. He bit his apple then chucked the other one at the blond's head.

"Wha?!" Naruto jolted, nearly falling over. He looked around hastily before locking eyes with Sasuke. "Whuzzat?" He rubbed his eyes, groaning. "What happened?"

Sasuke huffed, chewing. "What are you doing here?"

"You said we were training." Naruto set his foggy blue eyes on him and yawned. "Training."

"What are you doing _here_?"

"You didn't tell me where to go." Naruto looked at the ground and picked up the apple. "Did you give me this?"

"No."

Naruto stood, turning the fruit over and over in his hands. He didn't have apples at his place, so someone must have dropped one near him by accident. Then again...he did feel a weird pain right before he woke up. He looked at Sasuke, ready to question him again, and noticed the Uchiha was eating an apple that looked a lot like the one he was holding.

Could Sasuke have...?

He shook his head. "No way it was _him._"

Sasuke raised a brow at him. "What?"

Naruto shook his head again, biting the fruit and gesturing towards the door. "This is you, right? How'd you get out?"

"That's not my apartment," Sasuke said.

"What? Yes it is. Me and Sakura came here ourselves."

Sasuke rolled his eyes, gesturing down the hall. "Then why did I come from here, idiot?"

"I remember what door-!"

"Are you really going to fight me on this?"

Naruto glared at him. He was so positive he was in front of the right door, but Sasuke couldn't have came out without waking him. Maybe he climbed out of a window...but that wouldn't make any sense. In fact, that would not be an odd thing for him to lie about.

Naruto huffed, chomping on his apple. "Fine, forget it. Let's go already. I wanna see just what kinda trainin' you've been up to."

Sasuke stared at him a little more, his expression the same yet dampened somehow, and Naruto couldn't make sense of it in the short amount of time he saw it. Sasuke looked away, disinterested. "We still have a while before it starts."

"Then let's get some breakfast."

Sasuke turned, walking on. "Eat your apple."

Naruto followed, ignoring him. "What _is_ this training like? Super hard, right? Like, chunin level? Jonin level?"

Sasuke glanced at him. "It's nothing special."

Naruto groaned. "Yeah, yeah. Nothin's ever special to you."

* * *

The scent of jasmine and chai tea arose from incense candles. A small bouquet of morning glories sat between them, freshly spritzed with spring water. Overlooking these offerings stood the silver framed photograph of a smiling woman with dark amethyst hair.

Her smile had always been kind and loving; she always held back from fully smiling in public due to how flushed her cheeks would become. Her eyes would close of their own accord when truly filled with happiness, and he wished he could speak to her again.

Kō Hyuuga bowed his head, hands together, and said a small prayer for the late Lady Hyuuga. The small, mostly unfurnished room had a window above the miniature alter. The dark curtains were drawn open, shedding the morning's rays into the room, and Kō felt ashamed for being here to ask for the strength and resolve he hadn't had these last few months. He realized how insulting it was to not be there for Hinata when she needed him most, but he had no idea what to do. When he heard of her situation, his mind and emotions had been sent to a very dark and depressing place. He didn't know how to console her then, and he had no clue how to make up for it now. It was...a lot to process.

Puzzling though, Lord Hiashi hadn't said anything about his lack of involvement, and he wondered if the situation was so devastating that even the Hyuuga head wasn't keeping track of all that was going on anymore.

But of course the situation was devastating... And Kō wasn't making it any better by isolating himself.

He said his goodbyes before exiting the room.

* * *

Hinata had become a bit reckless—a bit rebellious.

Then again, she thought she was acting very logically. Anyone who was confined to one place would want some way out or find some outlet to spice things up, so she wouldn't think she was being too unreasonable.

"Hinata-sama."

She froze before darting down another hallway.

Neji was looking for her.

Hinata was so weighted by his presence this morning that she had run off the second he left her alone. At first, she planned to leave the compound, but then Neji started searching for her and it turned in to a game—in her head. The excitement lied in how long she could keep running from him, but she feared the joyous feeling would end after being caught. He probably wasn't having as much fun as she was, but he _could_ see her. He could catch up to her if he really wanted to, but she had a head start, and they weren't supposed to run in the house.

Hinata gasped when she heard Neji's footsteps approaching with a new speed, and she scurried away. She took a sharp turn only to collide into a hard surface, falling to the ground.

"Hinata!"

She jolted but found herself face-to-face with Kō. He was crouched to her level, face completely horrified, but she smiled nonetheless.

"Forgive me," he said feverishly. "I didn't see-"

"Um!" Hinata covered her mouth, laughing a bit. She lowered her hands, looking at him hesitantly. "Hi."

He looked her over, certain she had sustained an injury. "Um...hello, Lady Hinata."

She stood, lightly dusting herself off. "Um... H-"

"HINATA!"

She jumped, grabbing Kō's sleeve and pressing herself closely to his side. Neji bounded around the corner, his glare dampening by the smallest degree when he saw she wasn't alone.

"Kō," he addressed as dignified as his emotions would allow.

"What's going on?" the man asked.

"We were...playing a game," Hinata said.

"A _game_?" Neji countered, causing her to flinch. "We were not playing _a game_. You are not supposed to be doing any kind of intense physical activity, yet you took it upon yourself to disappear and then _run_ from me when I tried to find you."

"I just want to have some fun," she whispered, her defiance vaguely noticed.

"There's nothing fun about your situation. You need to understand fun is no longer-"

"Hold on," Kō said, standing. "Neji are you...watching over Hinata now?"

The two fell silent, the air becoming tense.

"I am," Neji replied evenly.

"I see..." The man looked down at Hinata; she was staring at the ground, her earlier mood gone. He scratched his cheek, looking back at the other child. "Yes, well, there's no need to be so strict. Understand that Lady Hinata has only you and Lady Hanabi to converse with, seeing how the both of you are the only other children within these walls. Would it be so terrible to play a game or two from time to time?"

Neji's eyes squinted, the idea a bit puzzling. "I suppose...if she would simply ask next time, we could find an appropriate activity."

"Right. Very good." He looked at the heiress. "And Hinata, please don't cause Neji too much trouble. He only wishes to look after you," though Kō was still confused as to why Neji agreed, "so communicate with him."

Hinata nodded, embarrassed, and looked to her cousin. "I'm sorry."

He huffed, shrugging. "It's fine."

"And," Kō cleared his throat, "forgive my absence, Lady Hinata. I should have been by your side sooner." He hesitated before placing a gentle hand on her shoulder, prompting her to meet his gaze. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm—fine." She glanced away. "I'm not very sleepy today, but I couldn't keep...my breakfast in." She pressed her lips together, brows knitted. "And I...c-couldn't make it to the bathroom in time."

"That's why they gave you a wastebasket," Neji muttered.

She gave him a look; she didn't like to throw up in her room. "I cleaned it up," Hinata went on, "but Neji wanted to call someone anyway."

"And then she ran," Neji said.

Hinata smiled, not sure why, and looked up at Kō again. "I'm fine."

Kō smiled, but he also wasn't sure why. Hinata was doing a lot better than he had expected. If he had to be honest, he didn't think she would be normal again. He doubted everything was okay with her, but she was fine now, and that was more than what he thought was possible.

He knelt to her level again, patting her head. "It appears we should use this good mood well. Is there anything you wish to do?"

Hinata looked at him critically for a moment before looking away, pushing her index fingers together. "I want to walk around the village."

"Alr-"

"Not possible," Neji interjected. "Uncle forbade you from leaving the compound—you know this."

"Yes, but... If we go late in the evening or early in the morning, not many people will be out. Maybe it will be okay."

"That's not the-"

"I don't see why we can't," Kō said. The two looked at him, both disbelieving. He smiled. "It'll be a secret."

* * *

Naruto didn't understand.

The image of jonin level techniques and forbidden jutsus had been at the front of his mind, but instead, he found himself flat on his stomach, ducked under some bushes, while Kakashi was crouched and peaking through the foliage.

And that was the other thing.

When they arrived, all the information Naruto received was that this training was heavily based in sensing the presences of others. He went along with it, but then Kakashi urged him to run and hide.

Sasuke was left behind.

If their sensei was going to drag them in the middle of the forest for training, shouldn't all three of them be..._training_?

"Hey, sensei?" Naruto whispered. "When do I get to do something?"

"You are doing something," Kakashi whispered back. "You're keeping me company."

"Okay, but when are you gonna teach me something cool? And why did we leave Sasuke back there anyway?"

"Naruto," Kakashi said, "the training for you right now is to be very quiet. If Sasuke finds you, you fail."

Naruto immediately clamped his mouth shut. He stared at the small clearing beyond their hiding spot. Moments later, he could hear the slow, steady advancement of feet upon the ground. Sasuke appeared just barely from his vision, his hands pocketed. Naruto watched him carefully, his lips trembling as Sasuke walked more into his view. Kakashi had set a trap, and if Sasuke was as great as he thought he was, he'd be able to avoid it.

But he was walking right for it.

Naruto snickered, the image of the uppity boy falling into a muddy pit becoming more of a reality with every step he took, but then Sasuke...stopped. He stood in place, head cautiously but frequently looking all around him. Naruto's brows came together as Sasuke's weird behavior increased. One of Sasuke's hands came out of his pocket and rubbed his neck. He took a step forward, froze, then took two steps back. He did it a few more times before he turned and walked away from the trap and directly into the thicket right across from where Naruto and Kakashi were hiding.

Kakashi huffed, ruffling his hair.

Naruto looked up at him, his frown deepening. "What's going on? Where's he going?"

Kakashi drummed his fingers on his forehead for a moment, troubled. This would be the part where Sasuke hid or left the Training Grounds until Kakashi went after him. His fear of being in the forest wasn't getting any better, and this would pose a great problem for upcoming missions—and they needed to start on those no later than next week. He sighed, ready to go get him, but looked down at the bright-eyed blond.

"What?" Naruto asked, uneasy. "What is it?"

Kakashi thought for a second longer. "Second part of your training: Find Sasuke."

* * *

It wasn't just the trees.

It was the shadows caused by the trees.

Sasuke sat with his back against a thick trunk, head tilted against the bark, and struggled to get his breathing right. If he didn't keep focus, his breathing would get out of control. He was very aware of the trap he had almost walked into—his nervous system went into overdrive with this new training—and he _knew_ Kakashi had set it, but...

What if it wasn't Kakashi?

What if there was someone else in here—someone who wasn't laying traps for the sake of training?

What if those men had found him and infiltrated the village? Kakashi and Naruto could be unconscious right now, but they were safe because they weren't the targets. No... Those men knew that he told. Despite saying he could live, they couldn't risk him knowing their faces, so they were back because they couldn't afford him to be left alive.

But he _didn't_ really remember their faces.

Not all of them.

Not in great detail.

But that didn't matter, did it? They just needed him dead, or maybe they were going to torture him. Maybe they'd force him to do what he did to Hinata to other kids.

Sasuke took a deep breath to clear his mind and soothe his ringing ears. He felt nauseated, overheated, and unbalanced. He knew he was being irrational, but he was disturbed by the shadows caused by the trees. When he got like this, the shadows could be very misleading, and he couldn't readily tell the illusions from the real thing.

Not that there had been anything real to see.

He inhaled deeply, held it for eight seconds, then released it. He did this until his body felt normal, and he constantly told himself he was safe as long as he was inside the village. Sasuke stood, slowly exhaling. He didn't remember when he learned these breathing techniques. He had always needed them, he supposed.

"Found you!" A hand slammed down on Sasuke's shoulders.

His eyes flashed wide, and he grabbed the hand, twisting it, and slammed the person over his shoulder, grabbing a kunai from his pouch. Halfway into lurching himself forward to jam the weapon into his attacker, he paused, noticing a wincing Naruto on the ground in front of him, and quickly pocketed the kunai. He put distance between himself and Naruto, unable to calm the hammering of his heart.

"Ow," Naruto muttered, rolling over to his hands and knees, arching his throbbing back. He shook out his hand slowly, unable to apply his full weight to it. "You gotta take everything so serious?" he grumbled, glaring up at him.

Sasuke stared at him, his nerves more rattled than before. He was surprised by how great his fear had been in those few short seconds, and the embarrassment and surrealism of it all had his throat dry and tight. More than that, he was surprised by what his fear could make him do.

Was he close to killing Naruto just now?

Was his fear becoming so great that he would end up killing people if they scared him enough? The thought alone made him feel sick, and he groaned to himself, sliding down the trunk of a tree, and focused on taking slow, deep breaths.

Naruto cocked a brow, confused by Sasuke's shift in moods, and found himself staring. He didn't know if he was supposed to say something, but he was even more curious what the Uchiha's strange mannerisms all morning had been about. In truth, when Sasuke wasn't being aloof or a jerk, Naruto didn't know how to act.

Confused, he got up and walked over to Sasuke, tugging on his shirt. Sasuke looked up, exhausted and in a mild daze, but Naruto continued to tug on him, urging him to stand. The Uchiha eventually gave in just to stop the stretching of his shirt, and Naruto pocketed his hands, walking a few steps back the way he came.

He paused, rubbing his head. "Kakashi-sensei said part of my training was to find you, and so I did."

Sasuke frowned. Kakashi was setting him up.

Naruto looked back at him, a glint in his eyes. "Since that means I won, why not help me with a prank, huh?"

* * *

Kakashi walked slowly through the forest to where Sasuke and Naruto had ventured. It was only a few minutes ago that he sent the blond to retrieve the other, but he felt as though he should have heard something by now. Sasuke responded well to Naruto (meaning he always reacted), so Kakashi had been very relieved when he heard the Hokage allowed him to join these sessions. It was unsettling to be aware of how Sasuke's impassive gaze was more dead. In the case of this new training, his gaze held quite a bit of fear.

It made Kakashi nostalgic in the worst of ways.

Sasuke had always reminded Kakashi of himself, but he was turning out too much like him. Their traumas in life were very different, but the destructive path Sasuke was forced to be on was not a good one. That's why Kakashi tried to provide his student with the resources and experiences he wished he had, and he wished he had a Naruto by his side. He had Gai, but he had pushed him away for too long, and he didn't want Sasuke to do the same.

But maybe...this still wasn't the right thing to do.

Naruto had no clue what Sasuke was going through, so if he stumbled on the Uchiha in his frightened state, it might only make things worse. Sasuke would either be forced to tell Naruto what happened or remove himself completely, and predicting how Naruto would react was near impossible. Still, Kakashi couldn't get rid of the nagging instinct to make sure Sasuke walked a less painful path, but he wished he knew who to ask to make sure he was handling the situation correctly. If the Hyuuga Clan wasn't so intimidating, he'd make a visit there to see how they were dealing with Hinata and her situation.

Without warning, the ground beneath Kakashi's feet suddenly disappeared, and he was tumbling down a hole. He landed awkwardly on his back, staring wide-eyed at the sky above him. Naruto's hearty laughter broke him out of his stupor, and both the blond and Sasuke were peering over the edge at him.

"Take that, sensei!" Naruto roared, alternating from pointing at the man and giving Sasuke a victorious grin. "Found Sasuke _and_ managed to get you in a trap just like yours!"

"Ah..." Kakashi blinked. "Yeah... You got me, you got me."

Naruto beamed, looking at his teammate. "And you thought it wouldn't work."

Kakashi looked at Sasuke, who was glaring at Naruto; he seemed oddly pleased at what happened. Kakashi wondered if he deserved falling into this hole. He allowed himself to be so lost in thought he couldn't avoid a genin's handiwork, so maybe he did deserve it.

"So, what's next?" Naruto asked Kakashi. "Found Sasuke, got you—now what?"

"Uh, how about we end the session here?"

"Whaaaaaaat?!" Naruto half whined, half groaned. "Is this all you guys do? Run around forests?"

Kakashi huffed, standing and brushing himself off. "If you can only see this as 'running around forests' maybe you need to work on your observatory skills, Naruto."

"Huh?" His eyes squinted. "The heck does that mean?"

"It means go eat breakfast. In a few hours, Sakura will meet up with us so we can do our real training. Try not to fall back asleep. You'll want to be wide awake."

"Ehhhh... But I don't..." Naruto looked up just as Sasuke began to saunter off. "Hey. Hey! Where're you goin'?" He hurried after him. "Are we gonna eat?!"

Kakashi sighed, ruffling his hair. He wondered if Sasuke was upset with him.

* * *

_**That Evening**_

When the sun began to set and the evening air began to settle, Kō, Neji, and Hinata made their way out of the compound.

Kō had informed few others of their departure as they left, but no one else thought to stop them. Most everyone who knew about Hinata's situation agreed that she needed time out in the village while she had the opportunity.

Neji had been silently appalled that no one had tried to stop them despite his uncle being very strict on the matter; they were not being spiteful or defiant—they simply wanted to be encouraging, which had to be contradicting in some way.

Hinata, however, had become considerably more upbeat once they were actually outside the Hyuuga estate, and she had kept a firm grip on Kō's hand for the first few minutes as she marveled at everything as though she was seeing it for the first time.

"So," Kō said once he was sure they were in the clear, "what do you two want to do?"

"We shouldn't go far," Neji said. "She gets sick, and we should be back in time for her medicine."

Kō looked down at them, noticing Hinata's burdened stare. "When does she take her medicine?"

"In about three hours."

He smiled, but he was concerned with how involved Neji was with her life. Things had been drastically different from what he last remembered. "Well...we will certainly be back for her medicine, but until then, there has to be something you two wish to do." He looked at Hinata. "What about you, Lady Hinata?"

She gave a small smile. "Walking is fine. I'm not sure what I can or can't do." She paused. "But...I am a little hungry."

"Alright. What do you want to eat?"

Her brows knitted as she thought. "I want...mayonnaise."

Kō faltered; Neji hardly noticed.

"And ketchup."

"Oh." Kō was relieved. "Some type of sandwich."

Neji snorted.

"I want ramen," Hinata said definitively.

"O-oh... Ramen with...ketchup and mayonnaise?"

She nodded. Kō studied both Hinata and Neji closely, quickly. Neither were acting like this was just a little prank they were playing, and he was quite surprised Neji wasn't showing some sign of contempt. She must have made requests like this before, but even if that was the case, he wondered if she should be eating it at all.

"Well..." he said, "okay. Ramen it is."

* * *

_**Later That Evening**_

Sasuke's day had been nothing spectacular but draining all the same. Training was going well enough, but Kakashi had reminded them that they were training to be part of the Chunin Exams.

They were already signed up, actually.

He also knew whether or not a team participated could be decided by their sensei, so it was a little hard to believe they were actually going to enter. At the very least, he thought Kakashi would ask them—ask _him—_if they should participate...

Sasuke stared down at his shoes, hands in his pockets. He was standing outside Konoha's Hot Springs, and he was going in and out of being focused on actually leaving. He huffed, looking up and down the street before picking a way to walk. His spirits were lower than usual. He hadn't planned on going to the hot springs alone, but Naruto didn't take the many (vague) hints he was dropping, and he wouldn't dare ask Kakashi or the Third Hokage outright. Still, he hadn't wanted to be alone for this one instance, and no one took notice of it. It was unfair to actually allow himself to be bothered by something like that—he liked being alone after all—but he felt rather pathetic amongst the other patrons who were there with family, friends, or others they got acquainted with. He wondered if he would have fared better sneaking into the mixed baths instead.

At the moment, though, he didn't know what to do. He didn't want to go home, but his only other option was to go find Naruto or see the Hokage. Seeing the aged man was appealing, but Sasuke was a little put off with him after his last request was more or less denied.

When he asked about seeing Hinata, he wasn't sure if he actually meant it. Life felt as though it was falling apart, and it would have just been nice to be around someone who knew exactly what was troubling him. She was the only one who could fully understand his chaotic mind in that moment, but it's not like he needed her comfort. He wasn't looking for a friend in her. Heck, he didn't really want to see her, but the Hokage had told him he should keep his distance. He made it a point that it was more about the baby inside of her than the danger he posed to Hinata herself, but Sasuke couldn't help feeling that, in that moment, the Hokage wasn't really on his side either. Despite knowing Hinata wouldn't have want to see him anyway and the Hyuuga Clan was the least safest place for him, Sasuke had felt completely alone.

Again.

And it was stupid.

He knew better... Of course he did...

Raising his shoulders, Sasuke decided to go home to get some sleep. Thinking wasn't the best thing for him.

* * *

Hinata didn't like hospital settings anymore; they made her feel nauseous.

She had become violently sick after eating her second bowl of ramen, and Kō had no choice but to rush her to Konoha Hospital immediately. For thirty minutes, she alternated from vomiting and drinking water. Kō had repeatedly asked a nurse what was wrong with her, but none of the staff knew what to say. Neji stayed at her side, giving her knowing glares and rolling his eyes every time a flabbergasted nurse witnessed the heiress becoming ill and gripping her sides. He didn't say anything to anyone, but he knew she'd be fine.

Ramen with mayo and ketchup made her ill.

She craved the stuff, but it made her stomach cramp and she would become sweaty and cold when she ate it. Sometimes she puked. Hinata knew this very well, but she felt fine after her first bowl and thought the past two experiences were flukes.

She would take the hint now.

So, now she and Neji were seated in the lobby as Kō talked with the staff. He wanted to make sure their visit didn't get back to Hiashi, so he had to sign some papers and do some explaining without really saying anything. No one had done anything invasive to discover her secret, but it was best if this whole incident was forgotten. But as she sat in the sterile building, staring at sea foam green walls, she began to feel uncomfortable.

She looked around the lobby, Neji seated silently to her right, and she felt the dull queasiness begin to creep up on her again. "I think I'm going to throw up," she whispered.

"Still?"

"Neji..." she said, her attempts at swallowing made the bile rise faster, "I don't... I don't think it's that."

He looked at her, observant. "Go to the bathroom."

She shook her head. Her body felt like it was being swept by warm, heavy waves. She ran her hands through her hair, trying to breathe. "I want to go outside."

"You can't."

"But I-"

"Just wait."

Hinata groaned, unzipping her jacket.

Neji watched as her legs swung back and forth. She was grimacing, breathing through her mouth, and sweat was forming about her face, a pale, sickly color taking over. Panic started to settle inside him. It was fairly cool in here, so he didn't know why she was sweating. The ramen never made her react like _this_, and her other episodes were much more predictable. If she was about to throw up, it usually just happened—at any given moment—without much warning.

"Neji," Hinata's voice was barely audible, and she wiped a trembling hand across her face, "I need to go outside."

He stared at her a moment longer before getting up and taking her by the hand. Hinata hurriedly followed him just outside the hospital doors and immediately hunched over to take open-mouth breaths. Her body felt unbelievably hot, and she could only feel the temperature rising. In desperation, she fumbled with taking her jacket off and flung it to the ground, pacing in small circles just to cool down. Slowly, she felt it working, but it was taking too long, and her energy was nearly depleted. She plopped to the ground, laying on her jacket, and looked up into the darkening sky, continuing to take deep breaths as her hand lay across her forehead; the soft pressure helped to keep the light-headedness away.

Neji knelt next to her, highly disturbed. "What's wrong with you?"

"I don't know," she admitted, closing her eyes. "Being in there... I just can't."

He watched a few moments longer. "You can't be on the ground, Hinata."

"Just for a little while."

"It's not sanitary."

"Neji..."

He huffed, standing. Looking up and down the street, he was put at ease to see nobody was out. It wouldn't hurt to let her act this way if no one was here to see it.

Still...

Neji crossed his arms. "Perhaps this is why you must stay at home."

She peeked at him before sighing. I enjoyed being out... I just don't want to be here."

"There may be other places that give you this same reaction. It's best not to find out."

Hinata was silent for a while, letting that sink in. She stood, taking her jacket with her, and looked at her cousin as steadily as she could. "I want...to be alone for a little while."

"You're going back inside?"

"No... I want you to."

"I can't leave you out here by yourself."

"Neji, please." She crossed her arms, holding her jacket tightly, and leaned against the building. Shutting her eyes, she inhaled in broken increments and released it. "I'll be right by the doors...so please... I... I just need a moment to myself."

Neji was quiet, evaluating her. When she made no sign of looking at him again, he sighed silently. "I'll be near the doors as well."

Hinata stayed in her position, rigid, until a minute after the doors had closed again. She released a long, silent exhale and crouched against the building, burying her face in her jacket. It was after Kiba and Shino visited her that she noticed how much more her emotions and actions began to reject her cousin's presence. She told herself over and over again that he was looking out for her, but he lacked a certain level of tenderness she was used to. He was still very blunt—very confident in the things he said—and maybe it was just her random surges of hormones that were making her this way. Neji hadn't snapped at her yet, but she wouldn't be surprised when it finally happened.

But she wanted to control herself better so it never happened.

"Hinata."

She looked over at the door to see Kō and Neji exiting.

Kō looked her over, smiling softly. "Everything is settled. Are you alright?"

"Yes." She stood and put her jacket back on. "Sorry about tonight..."

"It's okay, my lady. I think your, um, interesting taste in food is what might have been the cause, so I'm afraid we cannot indulge in your cravings for a while."

"That's okay." She hesitantly looked at her cousin. "And, um, Neji... I'm sorry about...earlier. I didn't mean to make you feel...bad."

Neji shrugged. "I didn't. You're just hard to get used to." He paused. "But I understand."

She fidgeted, not knowing what else to say. She looked at Kō, begging him to say something next.

"Right," the man said. "Well, glad to see you two so...apologetic?" He cleared his throat, frowning at himself. "Let's go."

* * *

Sasuke had trouble getting home.

His feet kept wanting to take him everywhere _but_ home. He didn't know what he was aiming for by staying out, but he was driving himself mad with the constant back and forth he was doing.

"Sasuke!"

The Uchiha's head shot up, startled by the high-pitched gasp that had called out his name. His eyes scanned the streets, looking down an intersecting road. Just a few feet down, a man with short brown hair and white eyes stood, appearing rather surprised himself. Next to the man, the farthest away, stood Neji Hyuuga, his eyes darkened grey from the disdain pouring from him. Between the two, Hinata stood, hands slapped over her mouth and wide, pearl eyes staring straight at him. Sasuke stared back at her, his pulse surprisingly calm and his mind unable to react. For some reason, she looked different from what he remembered, so he didn't know how to interact with her or know what he should be feeling.

And then it dawned on him that she had called his name, but he didn't know how to react to that either.

"Hello," the man said, his confused smile somehow comical to the Uchiha for a few seconds. "Are you a friend of Lady Hinata's?"

The mood drastically plummeted. Sasuke could no longer look any of them in the eye; Hinata's hands balled at her mouth, her stomach twisting; Neji rolled his eyes, firmly crossing his arms.

"Um," Hinata ducked her head, "that's Sasuke Uchiha. He was... We, um...w-went to the Academy together..."

"Ah, Sasuke Uchiha! Yes, I've heard of you."

Sasuke cringed.

"It's getting late. Are you on your way home?"

Sasuke shifted his weight from foot to foot, his voice tight. "Yeah..."

"If you like, you can walk with us."

Sasuke looked at him, his tenseness slipping. "What?"

"It appears we're headed your way," the man said. "Lady Hinata seems to know you, so you can walk with us, if you're not already with someone."

Sasuke stared at the man, skeptical confusion hard to hide. He was being nice, but Sasuke didn't understand how that was possible if Neji and Hinata were with him. Looking at the other two, Sasuke's distress heightened. They were both looking at the man as though he had said something offensive, and the Uchiha feared this man—this _Hyuuga—_didn't know about him yet. This possibility set Sasuke's pulse racing, his hands were cold, and an odd shaking was beginning in his knees.

_'. . .if anyone tries to provoke you, you have to walk away from it."_

"Is everything alright?" the man asked.

Sasuke couldn't respond. His breathing was shallow and increasing in frequency, but he couldn't force his legs to just walk him away from this situation. He couldn't explain this dread and panic that was happening, but he wished they would go away—to just let him _breathe_.

He saw Hinata tug on the man's arm. He bent down to her level, and she and Neji both were whispering something to him. Sasuke knew they were telling that man about him—about what he did—about who they thought he was. It made his vision dark and his world spin. His ears were ringing, and everything was moving too fast for him to concentrate properly.

"Breathe... Breathe... Breathe..."

Sasuke tried to inhale, but it was difficult. He kept trying, that voice soothing him as he tried to sync his intakes with its slow drawl. Eventually, he was able to breathe easier, and the fuzziness clouding his vision lifted. The man from before was knelt in front of him now, sturdy hands placed on the Uchiha's upper arms to balance him. His white eyes were soft-sprinkled with worry.

"Are you okay?"

Sasuke nodded, but he was drained all over again.

"It's okay. We'll take you home."

* * *

Sasuke had downed two glasses of water when they were inside his apartment. He hadn't felt thirsty until he was drinking, and he was a lot more calm in his skin after whatever had happened finally passed. But now he had three Hyuugas in his home, and they were near his front door, looking around his apartment with inquisitive gazes. He watched them from his kitchen area, and the new faces had him entranced—as if the Hokage and his teammates were all he had ever known.

"My," the man said, "this is rather...large."

Sasuke didn't respond, but he didn't particularly agree.

"Well, we should be on our way, then." The man bowed his head. "Um... good evening, Sasuke."

The man opened the door, and the Uchiha found himself jittery with their departure.

"Who do you talk to?" Sasuke blurted, earning three pairs of eyes directed at him. He became overwhelmed, and he heard his voice without experiencing it. "I talk to the Hokage, but it doesn't help."

They all stared at him. Hinata was aware his gaze was locked with hers, but she didn't have the slightest idea what he was saying. She glanced at Neji and Kō, but they didn't seem to know his question wasn't directed at them.

"Who...do I talk to?" she repeated.

"Who do you talk to to make sense of all this?"

"I..." She tilted her head slightly, surprised. "I don't...talk about it."

Now Sasuke was surprised. "What do you do?"

"I get by... I deal with it." She looked away, thinking. "My family helps me get through it. I just..." She looked at him, shaking her head. "I mean...what do _you_ do? Who's helping you?"

Sasuke's lips parted, but he didn't know what to say. The Hokage was there when he needed to talk, and he helped him get back to _normal living_, but he wasn't _helping_ him through _this_. Sasuke was getting by, but he wasn't made to deal with anything. Kakashi was helping him overcome his fear, but he wasn't _helping _him; he hardly asked about how he was doing or what he was thinking. The one person who could possibly help him was someone the Uchiha couldn't tell the issue to.

He stared down at his kitchen counter, realization hitting him hard. "...No one." He looked up, words leaving his mouth before he could understand them. "I want to talk to you."


	9. Chapter 9

**You need to eat. You need to eat, sleep, and find that mojo.**

**Read on!**

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It was six in the morning, and the Third Hokage was already seated at his desk. He was nurturing a phantom headache, eyes deliberately closed. If he could have helped it, he would have slept for another thirty minutes—a whole hour if he was lucky—but a guard had awoken him saying Sasuke Uchiha was here and needed to talk.

Hiruzen really needed more sleep before hearing...this.

Sasuke was seated across from him, waiting for the old man to say something. The child's eyes were firm yet dismissive. _It's already done_, they seemed to say, yet there was a tad of apprehension steaming from the Uchiha; he aware he had crossed a line. Neither of them was sure just how severe the boy's actions were.

Finally, Hiruzen opened his eyes, lifting his head, and looked Sasuke over with stern conviction. "You went to the Hyuuga compound?"

"No. I saw her last night."

"With whom?"

Sasuke shrugged. "Family."

Hiruzen wondered if it was anything to make a fuss over. He supposed Hinata walking around was good for her, but he was not sure if that was an activity that should be continued for much longer. Then again, he _was_ sure he would not be the one to take any more opportunities away from her.

He cleared his head, focusing again. "So...you talked to her last night."

Sasuke was silent, not wanting to repeat himself.

"And you invited her over tonight?"

"Yes."

Hiruzen inhaled slowly, trying not to show his frustration. "We talked about this."

Sasuke inhaled silently, his eyes flashing to the ceiling. "Why don't you understand?"

"Understand what?"

Sasuke looked at him for a long moment, eyes searching, and leaned in slightly. "My clan is dead, so I can't talk to them about the massacre. The Hyuuga is still here. I should be able to talk to her about that day."

Hiruzen blinked, stalling. He knew he could come up with some kind of response, but he was not sure if any of them would be valid. He did not dispute the idea that the children needed to talk their way through this entire ordeal, but he was not sure they should be talking to each other. There was no concrete reason why Sasuke and Hinata spending time together was a bad idea, but something about letting the two grow closer—rely on each other—become emotionally dependent when neither were—that ominously foretold of great disaster that truly had Hiruzen worried, but maybe his fears were unfounded. It was not as if they would be unsupervised, but wasn't it easier to stay away?

It was less of a burden for them.

Less responsibility troubling their minds.

It would be easier...to give certain things up.

Hiruzen closed his eyes, wiping a hand across his forehead. Internally he was shaking his head. "I see your point, Sasuke. I get it now." He looked at him for a moment. "Why did you want to tell me this?"

"You would have found out anyway."

"Perhaps. Perhaps not."

Sasuke shrugged, settling in his chair. "Too late now."

Hiruzen thought he understood. He thought he should save it for another time.

* * *

Naruto was more tired than usual.

Apparently just adding one more small training session to his mostly self-imposed training life was a bit much, but he was determined to get passed it.

Later.

Right now, he wanted to sleep for just a bit longer because he knew he had to meet Sasuke and Kakashi soon enough, but he figured if he slept more now, he just had to run faster later. Which was absolutely doable. The only problem was that his conscious mind had awakened, his eyes still closed, and he found himself blissfully enjoying the comfort of his bed more than he was actually falling back to sleep. He didn't want to forget how this moment felt later when his bed suddenly felt impossible to settle into.

But he was kinda stressing himself out.

He grumbled, pressing his face into his pillow, blanket wrapping tighter around his body. He was going to force himself to fall asleep if he had to.

The doorknob to his apartment began to turn, prompting him to look up. The door opened, and Sasuke stepped inside, stopping when he saw Naruto. Neither spoke—Naruto not believing what he was seeing and Sasuke more or less the same.

Sasuke scanned the room. "Garbage."

Naruto shot up, chucking a pillow at the Uchiha. "The hell are you doing?! Just walking in like that!"

"Why isn't your door locked?"

"I locked it! Guess I forgot to close the door all the way."

Sasuke walked inside and closed the door. He turned the lock one way and opened the door. He closed the door, turned the lock the other way, and opened the door again. He did that two more times before looking at Naruto condescendingly.

Naruto crossed his arms. "Well, people don't just walk in, so who cares?"

"Get it fixed." Sasuke paused. "And get up."

"What? We're training now?"

"No. Just get up."

Naruto's glare slowly morphed into that of unease. He shrank into his bed, pulling his blanket close to him. "What's with you? It's like you actually want me around."

Sasuke said nothing.

"Well? What's that about?"

Still nothing.

Naruto shuddered, grabbing a pillow to protect himself. "C-c'mon, Sasuke! What the heck are you getting at?!"

Sasuke continued to stare, pocketing his hands, and tilted his head slightly. "We're friends."

Naruto blanched, perked up, shuddered, then finally lowered his blanket. "We're friends?"

"Yeah."

"_You're_ sayin' we're friends?"

"Sure."

"You're _actually_ really admitting that for real?"

"Okay."

Naruto said nothing, but a smile tugged at his mouth without him realizing. Sasuke had been acting weird for a while now, and his relationship with the Uchiha was even more confusing. Before, they were rivals with things in common. If they were becoming friends before that, Naruto wasn't fully aware, but he'd like to think they were—not like he planned to admit that any time soon. However, Sasuke was now initiating the possibility of a mutually confirmed friendship, but he was doing it in not so subtle ways. Naruto honestly didn't know if the Uchiha was messing with him.

Naruto scrunched a brow. "Did I tell you where I live?"

"Get dressed. I need to show you something."

"Where?"

"Get dressed."

Naruto did, but his confusion was to blame for his lack of protest. When he had gotten ready for the day, Sasuke was leaned against the front door, staring out the window above the bed. He looked at Naruto, who honestly didn't know how to approach the situation anymore, and gestured for the blond to follow him out the door.

The two walked in silence all the way to Sasuke's apartment. When they were inside, Sasuke turned to Naruto, looking him up and down.

"Pretend you're a girl."

Naruto attempted to escape, but Sasuke slammed him against the door.

"Not like _that_," the Uchiha spat.

Naruto tried to push Sasuke's hands away. "Can you just explain what the heck you want?! This is getting weird!"

"What do girls like?"

Naruto hesitated. "Girls? What're you asking me for?"

"You're the only one I know to ask."

"Sakura?"

"_You're the only one I know to ask._"

Naruto took Sasuke's hands away. "Who're you trying to impress?"

"No one. I'm trying to be," he paused to think, "tolerable."

"To a girl?"

"Whatever."

Naruto hesitated again, looking around the apartment. The more he saw the inside, the more he wished his own apartment was a bit bigger so maybe things wouldn't look so messy. But then maybe Sasuke wasn't asking to help clean up. Perhaps he wanted tips on decorating, but then he should really ask for Sakura's help...

"Okay..." Naruto said. "I guess...I'll help out. But you gotta help me out with something next time. You have to do it no matter what, got it? You can't say no _at all_."

Sasuke stared for a moment, his brows creasing the more he thought about the consequences of agreeing. Ultimately, the Uchiha turned away, running a hand through his hair. "Fine."

* * *

Hinata was laying on an exam table with her jacket open and her shirt rolled up to expose her stomach. Kana was tinkering with equipment, occasionally asking Hinata simple questions that didn't mean anything.

"Alright, Hinata." Kana turned to her. She was wearing rubber gloves and holding a bottle. "We're just going to check how things are progressing."

Hinata nodded. Kana and Kō had explained this procedure to her quite a bit, but she already knew what this was. Kurenai had explained it to her months before when they had seen other pregnant women undergoing the same treatment in the Konoha Hospital.

It was to check on the baby.

Kō and Kana had explained it to her without that word even coming up.

Kana spread a clear gel over Hinata's stomach, her touch light and delicate as though Hinata's stomach would cave in. She then took a device and began to move it against Hinata's stomach, looking intently at the monitor. Hinata looked at it as well, seeing nothing but black and white that didn't look like anything.

"Why are you using this when you can use chakra?" Hinata asked, her tone rather conversational.

Kana looked at her a moment, seemingly surprised by Hinata herself. "More confirmation, I suppose. It's also best to use as little chakra as possible so we don't alter the progress."

"Of the baby."

The woman hesitated but it hardly went noticed. "Yes... But also for your health. Your body will weaken in some places to ensure the—baby—is healthy. To make sure things are going well, we need to see that the body is forming nicely."

Hinata paused. "Would using the Byakugan cause problems?"

"It's highly unlikely. When your mother was-" She stopped, looking at the heiress. The woman was surprised Hinata had become so composed lately. She looked back at the monitor. "When your mother was pregnant with both you and your sister, your father did not allow us to use chakra on her until the day of your births. It was difficult."

"Is it safer?"

"To an extent, I'm sure it is, but children of shinobi blood have suffered extremely little when chakra was used around them during pregnancy. Any harm that does happen to them is the result of chakra being used excessively, but they would have to be used in large amounts. Mothers carrying children with high levels of chakra suffer far worse than the other way around."

Hinata let that sink in. She had not learned that in the Academy. "Where is my father?"

"He's around. Have you not seen him in a while?"

"Mm." She looked at the wall. "No. Not really."

o0o0o

Kana finished. She said things were moving along fine, and Hinata was at least grateful nothing was wrong for either of them. After she was cleaned off, Hinata said her goodbyes and walked out the clinic. She made her way to her room, stopping by the courtyard to check the sky, and changed her destination.

She approached her cousin's door, knocking softly and entering when he answered. Neji was packing a small bag, and Hanabi was seated on his bed, her gaze now turned to her.

"Hello," Hinata said, walking inside.

"Hinata," Neji said, eyes on his task.

Hanabi waved, a tinge of exhaustion in her eyes. Neji was leaving for a two day mission with his team, and the young Hyuuga wanted to see him off. He was being unusually sluggish, though.

Hinata walked to her sister, confusing her with a quick hug. "Where is father?"

"With grandfather. They've been talking a lot lately."

"I see..." Hinata turned to Neji. "Are you almost done?"

He glanced at her, huffing. "Why are you asking me that? Can't you see for yourself?"

"Right..." She glanced at Hanabi. "I'm going to my room." Hinata started to leave, stopped outside the door, and turned back inside. "Hanabi, can you give us the room...please?"

Hanabi looked between them for a moment, interested piqued, but didn't comment on it. "Get me when you're done."

The door closed behind her. Hinata held her arms around her elbows, squeezing hard. Neji faced away from her, giving the impression he was doing something. He wasn't really.

"You...can't be mad about this," Hinata said.

Neji turned to her, latent anger and annoyance emitting from his eyes. "You don't want me around. You've made that very clear."

Hinata couldn't hold his gaze. "We're talking about Sasuke."

"Admit you don't want me around."

"Why are you even-"

"_Admit it_, Hinata. I've been by your side trying to help you through this, yet you can't stand to be around me and _purposefully_ do reckless things to spite me. If you are still holding a grudge over the way I treated you growing up then fine, but _say it_. I'm trying to be here for you, but make it clear to me, right now, that you don't _want_ my help."

Hinata shook her head, tears threatening to spill. She was not entirely sure why she wanted to cry. Maybe it was the pregnancy. Maybe it was her own conflicting motives. "I appreciate your help. I know it must have...taken up a lot of your pride to do it." She bit her inner lip. "But...fine. I am...a little bitter about the way you used to treat me."

Neji groaned, turned away.

"Is that really surprising?" Her voice was pleading. "Neji, you were _awful_ to me. I have to...to forgive you just like that? Because you suddenly started being nice? I need time."

"Time?" He nearly laughed, turning back to her. "I was wrong. I admit that. I said harsh words to you; I didn't hold back in sparring, but Sasuke did a whole lot more and apologized a whole lot less, and you want to go on play dates with him?"

"Is that what you honestly think?" Hinata's voice was whispery and pained. "You think...it was all that _simple_? You have _no _idea, Neji."

He stared, his own eyes betraying his peculiar pain, and he turned away again, gathering his bag. "You're right. There's no way I could know what you're going through, and perhaps I _am_ being too pushy with you not forgiving me." He threw his bag around his shoulder, looking her head on. "But you are my family. He is not. I am obligated to you by both blood and servitude."

She shook her head, frustrated, disappointed. "That's the problem, Neji. That's...not _right_." She turned out the door, pausing after a step. "I want you to care but not if it's fake." She paused, turning to him and bowing quickly. "Be safe on your mission."

She left, trembling as she went.

Hinata held herself tighter, fingers cramping against her elbows. There was no way Neji could understand what happened that day—what the stakes had been—how scared they were. Hinata had come to terms with what Sasuke did only recently, but she was far from forgiving him. She accepted he was not prepared to die as she had been, but she would never fully accept his decision as rational. She still felt as though there were more options to what could have been done, but Neji had no way of knowing she was in this battle with herself.

She was not able to make him understand.

To him, her choice to see Sasuke again was highly illogical, but she had put a lot of thought into whether or not Sasuke was bad. From the day she woke up after the attack, she constantly wondered whether or not the Uchiha was evil or selfish or uncaring. If their positions had switched that day, maybe she would have saw it Sasuke's way. Maybe she wouldn't have such an acute hindsight bias.

Maybe her shinobi instincts would have been stronger.

In the Academy, it was taught over and over that a shinobi must do whatever it took to stay alive, to protect their team, to protect the village. To throw away one's life when there was the chance of survival was neither honorable nor was it a shinobi's duty. Hinata knew this... She told herself that is why Sasuke did what he did...

And then she saw him last night.

He had a panic attack at the sight of them. He feared her clan—maybe Neji more than anyone—and he was alone. Hinata had never been alone after the attack, yet Sasuke had been wandering at night by himself, his expression lost before he saw them. He lived by himself—no sign of any other resident in his large apartment—and no one was helping him through this.

No one?

She doubted there was no one he could turn to, but perhaps there was no one he felt as though he could turn to. And how could she blame him? If she had it her way, no one else would know either, but she could honestly say it _was_ easier that she did not have to go through this alone. When paranoia hit her out of nowhere, all she had to do was seek a member of her family. When she could not sleep, she did not have to stay in her room by herself. When she wanted to cry because the memories of what happened crashed into her and refused to be swept away, she did not have to hold it in or suffer in silence.

And, more often than not, Neji was the one who was there...

She stopped in the hall, sighing to herself.

"Hinata."

She jolted, spinning around. "Wh-what are you doing here?"

Neji frowned awkwardly. "I have to leave. And...we go the same way."

"Oh..." She stared at him apprehensively, pushing her fingers together. "You know-"

He held his hand up, shaking his head. "When I get back. Maybe we both need to think over some things. I don't think we're going to see eye-to-eye right now." He paused, looking around. "Are you going to get Hanabi?"

"Oh! Right."

"Hinata," Neji called before she could dart off. "A question. About her... Hanabi, I mean." His brows scrunched. "She is...curious?"

"Curious?" Hinata's thoughts floundered. "What do you mean?"

"She is curious for knowledge? Or, perhaps, people?"

"Um...? Yes... I think so. Why do you ask?"

"She watches me train and visits me often. I thought maybe she does this to others as well."

Hinata shook her head slowly, a gradual smile curving her lips. "Hanabi looks up to you."

Neji's eyebrows rose, his body leaning away a bit. He said nothing, his eyes occasionally shifting, until he ultimately coughed. "I see."

* * *

_**Evening**_

"You promised!"

"Not now."

"You can't so no, remember?!"

"I'm not saying n- Let go!"

"Sasukeeeeee!" Naruto pulled on Sasuke's shirt as the Uchiha tried to pull himself through the door. "I've helped you out with a lot of stuff lately!"

"Who asked you?!"

"You did!" Naruto pulled harder, the shirt stretching. "RAAAAAAUGH!"

Sasuke felt a sudden spike in Naruto's chakra and whirled around, shoving him back. He glared at the blond, studying him carefully. "Tomorrow, alright?"

Naruto huffed, his chest rising and falling quite noticeably. "I helped clean your whole apartment _right after_ training all day."

"There wasn't much to clean." Naruto advanced on him; Sasuke took one fast, solidifying step forward. "I'll help clean your room _tomorrow_," Sasuke snapped. "Just _wait._"

Naruto stared at him a second longer. Then his face broke out in a blinding grin. "Okay!"

Sasuke was screaming on the inside. He wondered if Naruto had been toying with him just now. He would learn to see through his nonsense.

After a few more minutes, Sasuke persuaded Naruto to leave. The blond had not actually helped with much. Sasuke's apartment really wasn't messy, but they wiped down a few counter tops. He knew Naruto had crap knowledge about girls, but it wasn't like the Uchiha had many other options he was willing to turn to. He was very aware he was rather off-putting. He worked hard at that. Some people weren't affected by his attitude at all, but Hinata was not one of those people.

She didn't like him. For many reasons. In every sense of the word.

He didn't know how she felt about him before the attack, but she probably did not _dislike_ him then. Perhaps she was just indifferent or uncaring to his presence. They never had a reason to talk, and if he thought hard about it, he could recount only a few instances where they had no choice but to be aware of each other. The mission was one. Sitting next to each other in the Academy once was another. Neither was by choice.

Sasuke went to his sofa to sit down. He leaned against the armrest until he felt the need lie down. He stared across his living room, listening to the hum of the evening activities around him.

For a moment, he contemplated not going through with tonight.

o0o0o

It was sometime later when Sasuke was aware of knocking.

He had apparently fallen asleep, and he sat up, disoriented, momentarily wondering what was going on. He got up and answered the door. Kakashi stood on the other side, holding two large brown paper bags filled to the brim with assorted vegetables.

"For you," Kakashi said, extending a bag out to him.

Sasuke looked between him and the bag. "What's this for?"

"Sometimes I'm given more than I can eat. Happens when you help out people every once in a while." When Sasuke made no move to take them, Kakashi added, "I gave Naruto a bag, too. I can't possibly eat all of this before it goes bad."

"Why not give it to Sakura then?"

Kakashi sighed. "Sakura doesn't live on her own, so she doesn't have to worrying about buying groceries herself. And this isn't special treatment, Sasuke. You and Naruto would slack on proper eating if left unchecked. I'm making sure you two don't slow Sakura down with your poor health."

Sasuke huffed, finding that statement absurd. He took the bag from the man. "Fine."

Kakashi smiled beneath his mask, nodding once. "Very good. That's all I..." He looked down the hall, his attitude changing. "Good evening."

"Good evening."

Sasuke recognized the voice.

"Are you Sasuke's guardian?"

"No," Kakashi said. "His sensei." He paused. "You are Hyuuga...?"

"Kō." And the man came into view, extending his hand out. "Hyuuga Kō."

"I see. I'm Kakashi." He shook the man's hand. "So, you two...came to see Sasuke?"

"Oh, yes, sorry. We did not mean to catch you right after getting back from shopping."

Kakashi gestured inside. "Don't worry about it. Please, come in."

o0o0o

Kakashi and Kō took a few more moments to introduce themselves. Kō offered to help put groceries away, and the Uchiha was aware that Kakashi had allowed both bags to be put away. He mused over that for a moment—over if Kakashi would take them or if he himself would have to actually eat healthier than he already did.

Sasuke hadn't said a word as he watched the men converse, observing their interactions and how easily Kakashi fell into the role of his temporary guardian. Once settled, the men occupied themselves in the kitchen area. It was unclear whether or not this was to give the children a chance to speak freely. He was not sure if he was relieved the man had been here at all. If he hadn't been here, Sasuke supposed he couldn't speak as freely with Hinata as he could now, but he did not plan to speak about anything pressing anyway. But now that the men were talking, he and Hinata had more privacy than he would have cared for, and he concluded he didn't like being alone with her.

Sasuke sat on one of the sofa, Hinata on the other end. He hadn't really looked at her tonight, and she had spoken words to everyone but him since being here. He looked at her, making it very obvious that he was doing so. She was wearing simple, baggy clothes—no jacket—and her hair was slightly longer. She stared at her lap, hands folded, back straight, and her face was scrunched in mild discomfort. He now noticed color on her cheeks, and he wondered why she was ignoring him if she was aware he was staring.

"You didn't bring your cousin," Sasuke said.

She still didn't look at him, her lips parting for a moment. "He has a mission."

Sasuke didn't feel he had to respond to that.

Hinata hesitated, the corner of her mouth twitching. "And...it's not as if... I never asked him to hurt you."

Sasuke didn't want to respond to that. A silence threatened to settle.

"I don't hate you," Hinata said, attempting to look at him but not succeeding. "I am uncomfortable, though."

"So why did you come here?"

She nodded, forcing herself to look at him and remain looking at him. "You said you wanted to talk to me."

He almost scowled, embarrassed. "You just said you're uncomfortable. With me." As an afterthought he added, "You don't like me."

She turned her head away, blushing hard. "I'm sorry," she said, voice small. "I can't."

Sasuke's stomach twisted. He was inclined to feel dismally broken, but then a thought occurred to him that made him increasingly appalled. "You think I have a crush on you." It wasn't a question so much as it was a revelation.

Hinata sighed unsteadily, squeezing her hands together. "I... I-I already like-"

"I _don't_ have a crush on you."

She looked at him, knitted brows and blush still in place. She was skeptical, but she didn't want to express that.

"I _don't_ like you that way." He paused, teeth briefly grinding. "Why do you think that?"

"Because...of... You couldn't have...done it if you didn't. Right?"

Sasuke almost went wide-eyed. She thought he liked her because he got an erection? Or because of ejaculation? Had she forgotten what that day had been like—the consequences of not doing it? She obviously knew nothing about the male sex and the many reasons an erection can happen—fear being an odd but valid reason for him that day—and he _shouldn't_ be so offended by her assumption... But did she think he liked it? Did she honestly believe he got pleasure from doing that?

"It's okay," she added quickly. "I know you didn't want to even if you do like m-"

Sasuke lurched toward her, causing her to jerk back. "Just because it's up doesn't mean I like you," he whispered harshly.

"Sasuke, what are you doing?" Kakashi called from the kitchen.

The Uchiha straightened himself, both he and Hinata looking back. "Nothing."

Kakashi nodded. "Give her space."

Sasuke and Hinata settled back to their sides of the sofa. Heavy silence hovered between them. Sasuke felt exposed for invalid reasons. She thought worse of him than he thought, and he was beginning to believe it was a mistake inviting her over. They obviously shared nothing in common—that day or otherwise. Their experiences were nowhere near the same, and he shouldn't have expected to find a confidant in her.

Hinata, on the other hand, thought intensely. She hadn't admitted to anyone she thought Sasuke had a crush on her because she didn't think it was all that important. People would have used that against him. Still, part of her had been sure he had feelings for her, but he was saying he hadn't actually been aroused that day. She didn't fully understand—didn't know anymore about male sexual arousal than what she heard around the village—but that was one aspect that had always filled her with mind numbing dread when she was attempting to see Sasuke's plight. She thought it very disturbing that he could find pleasure in their situation.

But maybe she had misunderstood.

She peeked at Sasuke. He was seated far back in the sofa, arms firmly crossed against his stomach. His head hung so that his hair shielded his eyes from her view, but his mouth was twisted in veiled anguish. Hinata swallowed hard, guilt swarming her relentlessly. Her eyes began to sting because she realized she had hurt his feelings, and considering what she had accused him of, it was already eating at her more than she could handle.

"I'm sorry," she whispered. She leaned towards him, not wanting to attract the attention of the men in the kitchen. "Sasuke, I didn't mean to make you sad."

He took noticeable breaths, and she wasn't sure if he was shaking. "I can't take this," he said, the emotion in his tone hard to detect. "Everyone thinks I can, but I _can't_."

"I'm sorr-"

"_Stop_. I haven't even..." He looked at her, the whites of his eyes red, the look in them desperate. "You screamed. You told me not to, but I did. I didn't want to, but I did. Now you can't even..." He huffed, trying to compose himself all over again. "Don't apologize for stupid stuff. I haven't even said it to you yet."

Hinata didn't say anything. Sasuke didn't either. She wanted to ask why he hadn't said he was sorry, not that she was expecting it. She supposed she was never waiting for him to, and the prospect of him building up to actually doing it was a bit confusing.

Sasuke was kind of confusing.

He was hurting about many things—she could tell when she saw him last night. He was hurt in many ways and expressed it in many ways, and she was only used to expressing it one way.

"Do you cry?" she asked.

"No."

"Is that the truth?"

His eyes squinted. "Do you _want_ to see me cry? Will that make you feel better?"

Hinata pressed her lips together. "Being sad might be better than being angry." She looked over his face. "Do you know why you're angry?"

"I know exactly why."

"Do you want to talk about it?"

His mouth parted, but his arms tightened around him. "No."

Hinata nodded. "Then what do you want to talk about?"

"I don't know. Anything else."

Hinata pursed her lips slightly. "You can cry around me. I won't tell anyone."

Sasuke wanted to laugh at that. "I'm not gonna cry."

"Okay... But you can if you need to." She sat back for a while, focusing, then turned her sights back on him. "Do you want to feel something?"

Sasuke frowned apprehensively. "What?"

"Can I see your hand?"

"Why?"

She hesitated. "You'll see."

His hands instinctively clenched. Hinata reached for his hand hesitantly. He didn't pull away as she guided him, and she placed his hand over her stomach. Before he could react, she said, "Focus here."

Sasuke didn't know what to do. He thought she was trying to make him feel a lump, which immediately distressed him, but he didn't feel anything like that. Looking at her, he saw her eyes were closed, and she continued to hold his hand in place. He closed his own eyes, waiting for something to happen—wondering if he was supposed to make something happen—and focused with his mind.

Then with his chakra.

Then with his entire being.

And he felt something faint but _there_.

It coursed through his arm to his brain and down to the center of his body. This feeling—this energy—felt like Hinata and it felt like him, but at the same time it felt apart from them both. The part that was him unnerved him and the part that was her confused him. The two parts weren't meant to be be so close in the same space, but the energies were merged into one, becoming independently whole in its own right, and it was calming in a way he didn't understand. He didn't understand because it was them and it wasn't, and if it had nothing to do with them then he would admit that this feeling was nice.

But because it had everything to do with them, he didn't know how this calm existed at all.

"Feel it?" Hinata whispered.

He lost his focus, the feeling going away.

"It's weird," she said.

"Yeah."

Kō announced he was making dinner.

* * *

_**The Next Morning**_

Naruto woke up, again, with the immense feeling of exhaustion.

He wasn't sure why his body would wake himself up if he wasn't fully rested. The exhaustion was more in his mind than it was in his body, and he decided this was the most unbearable kind of tired. His eyes scanned his messy room, annoyed with it. It always managed to get messy without him doing much of anything, and it was a pain that he had to look at it.

He closed his eyes, attempting to roll over but finding himself unable to. He sat up to look for the source of the weight on his feet, and he saw Sasuke was lying there, staring at the ceiling with a hand on his stomach.

The Uchiha looked at him then, his eyes not as spiteful or unreadable as usual. "Let's clean."


End file.
